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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: press · safe · wake · plane · prune · stem · capital · deal

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. capital — a city
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. deal — to handle
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. press — to push
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wake — a trail
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. capital — money
  24. stem — of a plant

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