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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.

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: rush · mark · row · plane · bear · press · game · prune

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. prune — to trim
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. plane — a tool
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mark — a grade
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bear — the animal
  15. game — a match
  16. row — a line
  17. rush — hurry
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. press — to push
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. press — newspapers
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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