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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. press — to push
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. press — a publisher
  14. firm — decided
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. press — newspapers
  21. firm — a company
  22. prune — to trim
  23. firm — steady
  24. mine — for digging

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