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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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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: snap · lash · wind · prune · press · stem · can · patient

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — a tin
  5. snap — to click
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. can — to be able to
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wind — moving air
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. can — a tin
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wind — moving air

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