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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: lean · prune · press · stock · kid · race · temple · fork

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stock — goods
  5. kid — to tease
  6. prune — to trim
  7. press — to push
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lean — thin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. race — humankind
  13. stock — shares
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lean — to bend
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. kid — child

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