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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: present · lash · bowl · prune · sharp · safe · toast · press

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. press — to push
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. press — a publisher
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. prune — to trim
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. press — newspapers
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. present — a gift
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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