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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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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: prune · can · cell · press · hand · row · bank · stand

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cell — in biology
  8. row — a line
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. row — to paddle
  12. press — newspapers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. can — a tin
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. hand — help
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. can — a tin
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stand — to bear

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