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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: swing · branch · rock · press · snap · suit · prune · season

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. prune — to trim
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. branch — a division
  13. suit — in cards
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. suit — to fit
  18. snap — to click
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. swing — in golf
  21. suit — clothes
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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