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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 120 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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. press — newspapers
  5. tear — from crying
  6. press — to push
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tear — from crying
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spring — of water
  13. hand — help
  14. spring — a coil
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hand — in cards
  17. snap — to click
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. tear — to rip
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stand — to bear
  22. press — a publisher
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. leaves — lets stay

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