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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. spell — magic
  3. mark — a grade
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kid — to tease
  7. current — electric
  8. prune — to trim
  9. current — of water
  10. press — to push
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. current — happening now
  20. mark — a trace
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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