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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: branch · trunk · jam · press · wound · present · can · tear

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. present — a gift
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — there
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. can — to be able to
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. tear — from crying
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. press — newspapers
  17. can — a tin
  18. tear — to rip
  19. branch — a division
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. present — the time now
  22. wound — an injury
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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