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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 120 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: arm · spring · patient · swing · ruler · press · stem · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — newspapers
  3. swing — music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. press — a publisher
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. swing — to play on
  9. press — to push
  10. spring — a coil
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. swing — in golf
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spring — of water
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spring — the season
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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