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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 116 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: press · pound · branch · drill · wind · ball · prune · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — a tool
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pound — a weight
  12. branch — a division
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ball — a dance
  20. prune — to trim
  21. press — to push
  22. drill — the tool
  23. press — newspapers
  24. prune — the fruit

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