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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: pound · prune · squash · press · fork · chest · branch · lie

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chest — of your body
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. press — to push
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. prune — to trim
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. squash — the sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fork — to eat with

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