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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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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: rush · pound · fall · press · bear · prune · rest · rule

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rule — government
  5. prune — to trim
  6. press — to push
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bear — the animal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fall — the season
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fall — to drop
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rule — a law
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rest — a break
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rest — what's left

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