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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bass — low music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stand — to bear
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. track — to keep track
  14. branch — a division
  15. track — a song
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. prune — to trim
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bass — the fish
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fall — the season
  24. track — a path

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