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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. prune — to trim
  5. clip — for paper
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rule — a law
  9. present — there
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. present — a gift
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. present — the time now
  21. branch — a division
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rule — government

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