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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 · hand · arm · lash · saw · snap · vault · press

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hand — in cards
  5. prune — to trim
  6. press — a publisher
  7. hand — help
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. snap — to click
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. saw — the tool
  12. press — newspapers
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. prune — to trim
  23. press — to push
  24. arm — part of the body

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