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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 116 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. press — a publisher
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bank — for money
  12. mark — a grade
  13. game — a match
  14. press — to push
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mark — a trace
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bank — for money
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. dip — to sink
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. game — wild animals

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