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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: spring · press · prune · object · bore · bay · sharp · cue

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. object — a thing
  7. prune — to trim
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. spring — the season
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. object — an aim
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. object — to protest
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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