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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cell — in biology
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. branch — a division
  15. tube — the underground
  16. kick — in football
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. prune — the fruit

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