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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: bay · prune · mate · press · bat · stem · bank · firm

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. firm — decided
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bank — for money
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — steady
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bank — of a river
  13. press — to push
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. firm — a company
  19. stem — to come from
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — a friend
  24. press — a publisher

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