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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. staff — employees
  3. prune — to trim
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. branch — a division
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. staff — a stick
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lean — thin
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wake — a trail
  18. prune — to trim
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rush — hurry
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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