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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. staff — employees
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mark — a trace
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. bank — for money
  10. staff — employees
  11. bank — of a river
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. object — a thing
  14. prune — to trim
  15. object — an aim
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. prune — to trim
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. branch — a division
  22. staff — a stick
  23. object — to protest
  24. bank — for money

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