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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.

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 · stand · prune · mate · bear · dip · rash · racket

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. prune — to trim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mate — a friend
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rash — a series
  17. press — newspapers
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bear — the animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bear — the animal

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