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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bark — to shout
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fall — the season
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — a series

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