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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: mug · pop · prune · press · file · ball · rush · chest

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mug — a face
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. file — a document
  9. ball — a great time
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pop — music
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pop — soda
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mug — a cup
  20. chest — a box
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pop — to visit
  24. press — to push

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