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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: pound · press · stick · prune · sharp · wax · arm · suit

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — clothes
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. press — to push
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. press — a publisher
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wax — to grow

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