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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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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wound — an injury
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cap — a lid
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. press — newspapers
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cap — a hat
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bank — of a river
  21. can — a tin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — a division

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