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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · wind · cold · spell · press · prune · perch · toast

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. toast — bread
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cold — not warm
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spell — magic
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wind — moving air
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. deal — to handle
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cold — an illness
  24. prune — to trim

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