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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 · hand · date · prune · spell · lie · wake · pound

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — help
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. press — newspapers
  9. hand — in cards
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wake — a trail
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — to recline
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. spell — letters
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. spell — magic
  24. press — to push

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