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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · prune · bark · rock · mate · firm · tube · arm

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. firm — a company
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mate — a partner
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. press — to push
  12. prune — to trim
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. firm — steady
  16. mate — to breed
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. press — newspapers
  21. tube — a container
  22. firm — decided
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rock — music

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