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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: press · last · lash · track · branch · spring · prune · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — to go on
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. spring — the season
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. spring — of water
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rock — music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. last — finally
  17. spring — a coil
  18. press — to push
  19. rock — a stone
  20. branch — a division
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. last — final
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. branch — of a tree

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