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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fine — all right
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. press — a publisher
  10. charge — electricity
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. charge — in control
  14. prune — to trim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fine — high quality
  18. charge — a price
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. press — to push
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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