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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. prune — to trim
  2. row — a line
  3. press — newspapers
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. firm — decided
  7. rush — hurry
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. row — to paddle
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. firm — steady
  14. lie — to recline
  15. firm — a company
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. press — a publisher
  20. snap — to click
  21. press — to push
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — an untruth
  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