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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: spell · press · racket · chest · prune · ruler · patient · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. press — a publisher
  3. spell — magic
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. press — to push
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. press — newspapers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. last — to go on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chest — a box
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. last — finally

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