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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. degree — from a university
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lean — thin
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — to push
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rush — hurry
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. press — a publisher
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rush — to hurry

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