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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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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: snap · tear · prune · branch · trunk · bulb · vault · press

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. prune — to trim
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tear — from crying
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tear — from crying
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. tear — to rip
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. press — to push
  21. snap — to click
  22. branch — a division
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. branch — of a tree

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