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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.

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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 · stick · pass · press · wound · jam · race · plane

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. plane — a tool
  3. press — a publisher
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wound — an injury
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. race — the arms race
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wound — an injury
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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