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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stock — goods
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. press — to push
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mark — a trace
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chip — for betting

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