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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 116 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: ground · press · clip · lash · kick · plane · cabinet · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — newspapers
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ground — the earth
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. clip — a video
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. kick — in football
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. press — a publisher
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. press — to push
  22. plane — a tool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. clip — to cut

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