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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. march — the month
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. scale — size or range
  5. branch — a division
  6. object — to protest
  7. root — of a plant
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. root — of a word
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. spell — letters
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. root — the cause
  21. object — a thing
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. object — an aim

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