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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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Word bank
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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: prune · cap · fan · press · wake · bore · bear · sharp

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wake — a trail
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bear — the animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bore — to drill
  8. prune — to trim
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. sharp — clever
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. press — to push
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. sharp — with an edge

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