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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: deal · press · stem · straw · rush · mate · prune · craft

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rush — hurry
  5. craft — boats
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mate — a friend
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stem — to come from
  11. craft — a skill
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mate — to breed
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. press — to push
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. prune — to trim

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