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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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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: kid · stick · safe · trunk · patient · prune · press · bore

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bore — to drill
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — to push
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kid — child
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. press — newspapers
  17. kid — to tease
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bore — to tire
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. prune — to trim

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