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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: toast · press · prune · content · tube · rule · rush · present

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. present — a gift
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rule — government
  7. press — to push
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. tube — a container
  10. content — the amount
  11. rule — a law
  12. toast — bread
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. present — the time now
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rush — hurry
  20. press — newspapers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. present — there
  23. content — happy
  24. tube — the underground

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