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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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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 · ground · bay · firm · dip · row · press · rest

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ground — a position
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. press — to push
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. row — a line
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rest — a break
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. firm — a company
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. row — to paddle
  21. firm — steady
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. firm — decided
  24. ground — crushed

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