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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. last — finally
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. track — to keep track
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a path
  14. last — to go on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. last — final
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — a division
  24. spring — of water

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