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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: wave · pound · lie · stand · trunk · game · prune · press

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. press — to push
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. press — a publisher
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pound — a weight
  21. game — a match
  22. stand — to bear
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wave — with your hand

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