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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 116 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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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: saw · press · trunk · bay · snap · stem · present · leaves

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. present — the time now
  6. press — newspapers
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. present — a gift
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. present — there
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. trunk — of a car

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