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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spell — letters
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. spell — magic
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. press — to push
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. press — a publisher
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fine — high quality
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fine — all right
  14. press — newspapers
  15. prune — to trim
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cell — a phone
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cell — in biology
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. prune — to trim
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cell — in a prison

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