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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. prune — to trim
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. object — an aim
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. snap — to click
  8. squash — to crush
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stand — to bear
  11. branch — a division
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. lean — thin
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — the sport
  17. object — to protest
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lean — to bend
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. object — a thing

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