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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. can — to be able to
  4. prune — to trim
  5. press — a publisher
  6. prune — to trim
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. date — the fruit
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. firm — decided
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. firm — steady
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. press — to push
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. firm — a company

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