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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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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rest — what's left
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stem — to come from
  17. file — a document
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. branch — a division
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wake — a trail
  22. tube — the underground
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rest — a break

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