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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. staff — employees
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rush — hurry
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. press — newspapers
  13. staff — employees
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — to come from
  19. press — to push
  20. staff — a stick
  21. saw — the tool
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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