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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: wound · wind · firm · press · mark · prune · ground · staff

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mark — a grade
  6. firm — decided
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ground — a position
  12. firm — a company
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wound — an injury
  15. press — a publisher
  16. firm — steady
  17. wind — moving air
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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