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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · lash · row · arm · press · prune · file · can

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. press — to push
  4. ground — crushed
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. ground — a position
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. can — a tin
  10. file — a line of people
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. file — a tool
  16. row — a line
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a document
  23. row — to paddle
  24. prune — to trim

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