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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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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. clip — for paper
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mark — a trace
  6. prune — to trim
  7. branch — a division
  8. press — newspapers
  9. prune — to trim
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. suit — to fit
  15. clip — a video
  16. press — to push
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rush — hurry
  20. press — a publisher
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mark — a grade
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. clip — to cut

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