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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
468
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 · rash · board · fine · mug · press · wind · capital

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mug — a face
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mug — a cup
  6. board — to get on
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. board — a committee
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. press — newspapers
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. press — to push
  18. rash — a series
  19. fine — all right
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. capital — money
  24. prune — to trim

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