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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: stand · prune · snap · craft · mouse · band · press · board

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — boats
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. craft — a skill
  16. snap — to click
  17. band — a music group
  18. press — to push
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. band — a ring
  22. press — a publisher
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — for a computer

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