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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. roll — a list
  6. last — finally
  7. press — newspapers
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. charge — a price
  10. stand — to bear
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. charge — in control
  14. roll — a cake
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com