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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: season · saw · press · rush · fine · march · nail · prune

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. march — the month
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. march — music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. press — to push
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. march — the month
  21. rush — hurry
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. saw — the tool
  24. press — a publisher

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