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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. branch — a division
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ground — crushed
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — a position
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. clip — to cut
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wound — an injury

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