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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · stick · mug · press · squash · prune · branch · clip

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. clip — for paper
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — a division
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. press — a publisher
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. clip — to cut
  13. prune — to trim
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mug — a face
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — to rob
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. press — to push
  24. clip — a video

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