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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 120 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: prune · press · hide · squash · stand · ball · craft · rash

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rash — a series
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. craft — a skill
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ball — a great time
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. squash — the vegetable

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