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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: suit · press · root · wound · perch · firm · prune · arm

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. press — to push
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — decided
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. firm — steady
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. prune — to trim
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — a company
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. perch — the fish
  19. press — a publisher
  20. root — of a plant
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — clothes
  24. press — newspapers

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