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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 124 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. object — to protest
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. prune — to trim
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. sharp — clever
  11. branch — a division
  12. object — an aim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. object — a thing
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. branch — of a bank

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