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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rash — a series
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. race — humankind
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. prune — to trim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. roll — a cake
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. firm — steady
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. saw — the tool
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. board — to get on
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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