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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · straw · mark · fan · rock · branch · prune · press

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rest — what's left
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mark — a trace
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. press — to push
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. prune — to trim
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rest — a break
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mark — a grade
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — a division
  24. fan — a supporter

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