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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cell · bore · press · deal · spell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. prune — to trim
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. press — newspapers
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. prune — the fruit

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