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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. net — in sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. land — to come down
  6. net — for catching
  7. press — newspapers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pop — to visit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. press — to push
  15. lean — to bend
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. press — a publisher
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. pop — soda
  21. net — after costs
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pop — music
  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