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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 · spring · row · prune · object · straw · lash · fork

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. press — newspapers
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spring — the season
  7. press — to push
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. fork — in a road
  10. object — to protest
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. spring — of water
  14. object — a thing
  15. spring — a coil
  16. row — a line
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. object — an aim
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. prune — to trim
  24. straw — a straw man

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