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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — newspapers
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. shower — rain
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. land — to come down
  8. season — in sport
  9. press — to push
  10. wake — a trail
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. land — ground
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stock — goods
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. shower — to wash
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stock — shares
  20. season — of the year
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. land — a country

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