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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. press — a publisher
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. prune — to trim
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cell — a phone
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. cell — in biology
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. perch — the fish

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