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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
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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: dip · press · scale · roll · prune · foot · fall · straw

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. roll — a list
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. foot — a measure
  9. press — a publisher
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. fall — the season
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. dip — to sink
  21. fall — to drop
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. scale — size or range

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