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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: prune · rush · press · track · calf · wind · race · dip

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. track — to keep track
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. track — a song
  8. race — a contest
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wind — moving air
  16. race — humankind
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wind — moving air
  21. track — a path
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. press — to push
  24. prune — to trim

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