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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 120 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: squash · craft · press · bore · bulb · calf · branch · prune

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. press — to push
  3. craft — boats
  4. branch — a division
  5. squash — the sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. press — a publisher
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bulb — for light
  18. craft — a skill
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bore — to drill
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. press — newspapers
  24. calf — of the leg

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