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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: press · sharp · wind · object · coach · prune · lash · lie

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. object — to protest
  5. prune — to trim
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wind — moving air
  8. sharp — clever
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. object — an aim
  12. wind — moving air
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. object — a thing
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. press — to push
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. coach — a trainer

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