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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: prune · lean · rash · arm · wax · press · stem · can

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lean — thin
  4. rash — a series
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — a tin
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. can — a tin
  14. press — newspapers
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rash — hasty
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wax — in the ear

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