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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 116 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bore — to tire
  5. game — wild animals
  6. suit — to fit
  7. press — to push
  8. wax — to grow
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stand — to bear
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. game — a match

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