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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: pop · hand · rule · bay · press · prune · kid · mug

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. press — newspapers
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mug — a face
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rule — government
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kid — child
  17. rule — a law
  18. press — to push
  19. pop — music
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. hand — help

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