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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: bark · pop · vault · dip · clip · saw · press · prune

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. press — to push
  6. clip — a video
  7. bark — to shout
  8. saw — the tool
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pop — music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pop — soda
  13. dip — to sink
  14. clip — to cut
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. vault — a safe
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. press — newspapers

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