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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · branch · press · file · vault · plane · prune · bowl

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. press — to push
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — a division
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. file — a document
  11. plane — a tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. file — a tool
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. press — a publisher
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. file — a line of people
  24. sharp — clever

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