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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: prune · craft · mark · hand · stem · vault · toast · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. prune — to trim
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. press — newspapers
  12. hand — help
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mark — a grade
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. craft — boats
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. hand — in cards
  21. vault — a safe
  22. craft — a skill
  23. toast — bread
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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