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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · hand · prune · cabinet · snap · bowl · arm · land

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. land — to come down
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hand — in cards
  9. press — a publisher
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. land — a country
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. press — to push
  14. hand — help
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. land — ground
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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