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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 120 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: prune · safe · press · racket · pop · hide · spell · pit

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pit — in a race
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pop — soda
  5. press — a publisher
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. press — newspapers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pop — to visit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — magic
  14. prune — to trim
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — a hole
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. press — to push
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pop — music
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. hide — to keep secret

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