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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bark — to shout
  3. prune — to trim
  4. file — a line of people
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. file — a tool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. branch — a division
  12. staff — a stick
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. staff — employees
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. staff — employees
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lean — to bend
  24. file — a document

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