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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: fall · press · wake · spell · board · pop · prune · snap

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fall — to drop
  4. board — to get on
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fall — the season
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pop — soda
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. spell — letters
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. press — a publisher
  16. snap — to click
  17. press — to push
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. board — a committee
  20. spell — magic
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. press — newspapers
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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