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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. track — a path
  11. press — newspapers
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. prune — to trim
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. track — a song
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. press — to push
  22. wake — a trail
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. prune — the fruit

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