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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
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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 · prune · rest · game · mark · shower · saw · lash

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. game — a match
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rest — a break
  6. shower — rain
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. press — to push
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mark — a grade
  21. game — wild animals
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. press — a publisher
  24. saw — the tool

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