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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: row · trunk · press · spell · cue · march · prune · nail

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. press — to push
  4. march — the month
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. march — music
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. row — to paddle
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. spell — magic
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cue — a signal
  20. march — the month
  21. row — a line
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. prune — to trim
  24. press — newspapers

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