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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 · plane · prune · rush · mug · foot · field · lean

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. press — to push
  4. mug — a face
  5. rush — hurry
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. press — a publisher
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lean — thin
  11. field — a subject
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. prune — to trim
  14. field — for sport
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mug — to rob
  18. field — farmland
  19. lean — to bend
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mug — a cup
  24. press — newspapers

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