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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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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: pit · shower · prune · stick · wake · cue · press · snap

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pit — a hole
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cue — a signal
  11. snap — to click
  12. prune — to trim
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. shower — rain
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. press — to push
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pit — in a race

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