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

Word bank: cell · press · prune · firm · stick · deal · bark · craft

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. firm — a company
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. firm — decided
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. deal — to handle
  18. craft — a skill
  19. prune — to trim
  20. press — to push
  21. bark — to shout
  22. craft — boats
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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