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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: lash · degree · rock · fine · prune · cue · press · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. prune — to trim
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fine — high quality
  5. degree — from a university
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. press — to push
  10. rule — government
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cue — for pool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fine — all right
  18. rock — music
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cue — a signal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rock — a stone

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