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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: saw · stand · mate · press · rush · kick · prune · rash

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mate — a partner
  3. saw — the tool
  4. press — newspapers
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rush — hurry
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mate — a friend
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stand — to bear
  16. kick — in football
  17. press — a publisher
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. press — to push
  24. rash — on the skin

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