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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · toast · court · staff · rest · leaves · season · prune

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. prune — to trim
  3. court — for sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. season — in sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rest — what's left
  11. court — of law
  12. press — a publisher
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rest — a break
  16. season — of the year
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rest — what's left
  21. toast — bread
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. court — of a king

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