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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. branch — a division
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. roll — a cake
  16. degree — an amount
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. degree — from a university
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. roll — a list
  22. degree — temperature
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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