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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. branch — a division
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. court — of law
  6. content — happy
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. court — of a king
  11. chest — a box
  12. content — the amount
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. court — for sport

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