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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. root — of a word
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. press — to push

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