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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: wake · press · deal · cap · season · fan · kid · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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. kid — child
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. kid — to tease
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. deal — to handle
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. press — to push
  18. season — of the year
  19. cap — of ice
  20. season — in sport
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. press — a publisher
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cap — a hat

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