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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 · fan · mark · branch · bowl · wake · press · dip

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. press — to push
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mark — a grade
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. press — a publisher
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. branch — a division

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