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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rest — a break
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rest — what's left
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chair — a leader
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wound — an injury
  11. face — to confront
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. press — a publisher
  14. face — part of the head
  15. prune — to trim
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wound — an injury
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. press — to push
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rest — what's left
  24. prune — to trim

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