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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rash — hasty
  3. track — a path
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pit — a hole
  8. press — newspapers
  9. prune — to trim
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. rush — hurry
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. vault — a safe
  17. charge — a price
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. track — a song
  20. rash — a series
  21. press — to push
  22. pit — in a race
  23. press — a publisher
  24. prune — to trim

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