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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: lash · bowl · march · bound · prune · press · kick · plane

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. press — a publisher
  6. march — the month
  7. press — to push
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. kick — in football
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. march — the month
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bound — certain
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bound — tied together
  22. plane — a tool
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bound — obliged

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