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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 120 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 · rest · hide · last · drill · press · snap · sharp

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. press — a publisher
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rest — what's left
  6. last — finally
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — clever
  11. last — to go on
  12. drill — the tool
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rest — a break
  17. drill — a practice
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rest — what's left
  21. snap — to click
  22. press — to push
  23. last — final
  24. drill — army training

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