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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: press · dip · bay · kick · prune · march · plane · row

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. press — newspapers
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. march — the month
  10. press — to push
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — a line
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. plane — a tool
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. kick — in football

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