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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. game — a match
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rule — a law
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wax — to grow
  16. clip — a video
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. prune — to trim
  19. perch — the fish
  20. clip — for paper
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. clip — to cut
  23. press — a publisher
  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