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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: mine · mug · press · cue · prune · trunk · sharp · hand

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — for pool
  4. press — to push
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. hand — in cards
  13. press — a publisher
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. sharp — clever
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mug — a face

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