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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chest — a box
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitch — completely
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. face — to confront
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chest — of your body
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. branch — a division
  23. face — to point toward
  24. can — a tin

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