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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: staff · lash · trunk · bass · vault · press · craft · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — to push
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. craft — boats
  9. press — newspapers
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. press — a publisher
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. staff — employees
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bass — low music
  24. staff — a stick

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