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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.

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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: press · nail · pass · net · prune · rule · staff · land

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. land — to come down
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. staff — employees
  6. press — newspapers
  7. land — a country
  8. pass — a permit
  9. net — after costs
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. press — a publisher
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. net — in sport
  16. staff — a stick
  17. land — ground
  18. prune — to trim
  19. staff — employees
  20. press — to push
  21. rule — a law
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rule — government
  24. nail — for a hammer

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