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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. press — to push
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — letters
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. sharp — clever
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spell — magic
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stand — to bear
  24. sharp — exactly

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