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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: jam · mine · press · season · hide · racket · prune · snap

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. season — in sport
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. press — newspapers
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. season — of the year
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. prune — to trim
  12. press — to push
  13. mine — for digging
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. press — a publisher
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. snap — to click
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. hide — to keep secret

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