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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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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: snap · roll · bark · prune · press · firm · kick · row

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. prune — to trim
  7. row — to paddle
  8. snap — to click
  9. press — to push
  10. row — a line
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. roll — a list
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. press — a publisher
  20. kick — in football
  21. bark — to shout
  22. firm — decided
  23. press — newspapers
  24. firm — steady

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