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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chest — of your body
  8. branch — a division
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. firm — steady
  14. chest — a box
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bank — for money
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. bass — the fish
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bass — low music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bank — for money

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