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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rest — a break
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. file — a line of people
  7. branch — a division
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pop — music
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pop — soda
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. craft — boats
  21. pop — to visit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. chair — a leader

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