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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 116 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: pop · press · suit · prune · hand · ground · drill · leaves

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. press — to push
  3. ground — crushed
  4. press — a publisher
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ground — a position
  9. press — newspapers
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pop — to visit
  12. drill — the tool
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pop — soda
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pop — music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. prune — to trim
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. leaves — lets stay

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