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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: press · cabinet · plane · rule · prune · cue · straw · spell

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. spell — magic
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. prune — to trim
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rule — a law
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rule — government
  16. cue — a signal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. press — to push
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cue — a hint
  24. press — a publisher

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