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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: suit · press · ruler · race · prune · clip · lean · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. race — humankind
  4. press — to push
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. suit — clothes
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. clip — a video
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. prune — to trim
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — a publisher
  17. clip — for paper
  18. lean — to bend
  19. suit — to fit
  20. lean — thin
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. prune — to trim
  23. press — newspapers
  24. prune — the fruit

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