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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: prune · snap · rush · arm · race · mate · current · press

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — happening now
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. race — humankind
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mate — a friend
  7. current — electric
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. current — of water
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. race — the arms race
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. mate — a partner
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. race — a contest
  23. arm — part of the body
  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