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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. file — a tool
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. file — a document
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. snap — to click
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bank — for money
  15. press — to push
  16. mark — a grade
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. press — a publisher
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — newspapers
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pound — to hit hard

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