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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. prune — to trim
  3. branch — a division
  4. rule — government
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. dip — to sink
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. object — to protest
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rush — hurry
  21. object — an aim
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rule — a law
  24. trunk — of a tree

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