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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spring — a coil
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fork — in a road
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. spring — of water
  10. bark — to shout
  11. press — newspapers
  12. current — electric
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. spring — the season
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bark — of a tree

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