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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 · stand · rest · wake · dip · prune · key · leaves

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rest — what's left
  4. press — to push
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rest — a break
  7. press — newspapers
  8. key — for a lock
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rest — what's left
  12. prune — to trim
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wake — a trail
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. key — in music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. prune — to trim

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