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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
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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 · squash · temple · press · shower · lie · mine · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. prune — to trim
  6. squash — the sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. shower — to wash
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. shower — rain
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. press — to push
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. squash — to crush
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. press — a publisher

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