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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. branch — a division
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. deal — to handle
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. land — ground
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. land — a country
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. land — to come down
  24. object — an aim

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