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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. scale — size or range
  3. sharp — clever
  4. press — newspapers
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. content — the amount
  14. cap — a lid
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. content — happy
  19. cap — a hat
  20. scale — in music
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. press — to push

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