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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: craft · prune · net · pass · press · sharp · lie · rest

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lie — to recline
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. craft — a skill
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pass — a permit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. craft — boats
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. press — a publisher
  12. net — in sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — for catching
  15. press — to push
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rest — what's left
  18. press — newspapers
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rest — a break
  24. sharp — clever

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