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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. press — a publisher
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. land — ground
  7. prune — to trim
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. land — a country
  11. press — to push
  12. prune — to trim
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wound — an injury
  18. press — newspapers
  19. land — to come down
  20. mug — to rob
  21. branch — a division
  22. mug — a face
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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