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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. press — to push
  4. mate — a partner
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mate — to breed
  8. row — to paddle
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — low music
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mate — a friend
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. press — newspapers
  17. prune — to trim
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. row — a line
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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