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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 116 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: rash · lie · cold · prune · branch · press · wound · fan

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — to recline
  6. press — newspapers
  7. branch — a division
  8. rash — a series
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cold — an illness
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rash — hasty
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cold — not warm

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