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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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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 · coach · craft · file · prune · content · rush · wound

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. file — a tool
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wound — an injury
  5. press — newspapers
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. prune — to trim
  10. file — a line of people
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rush — hurry
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. press — to push
  16. craft — boats
  17. press — a publisher
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. prune — to trim
  20. file — a document
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. coach — a trainer

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