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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cue — a signal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cue — for pool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rest — a break
  8. prune — to trim
  9. press — newspapers
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. chest — of your body
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chest — of your body
  15. shower — rain
  16. press — to push
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chest — a box
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. press — a publisher
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rest — what's left

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