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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: prune · press · hand · rock · pop · toast · wound · bore

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. toast — bread
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bore — to drill
  5. press — to push
  6. rock — music
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bore — to tire
  11. prune — to trim
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hand — in cards
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pop — soda
  21. hand — help
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pop — music
  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