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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: rock · press · snap · prune · rash · pitcher · patient · sharp

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rock — music
  8. press — a publisher
  9. prune — to trim
  10. sharp — clever
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rock — a stone
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — to trim
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pitcher — a jug

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