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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: rule · prune · straw · press · wake · stock · chip · spell

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. press — to push
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rule — a law
  9. spell — magic
  10. stock — shares
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stock — goods
  17. press — a publisher
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rule — government
  22. chip — to eat
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chip — for betting

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