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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. present — a gift
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. deal — to handle
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. present — there
  14. season — of the year
  15. tube — a container
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — the time now

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