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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. prune — to trim
  3. track — a path
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. branch — a division
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. track — a song
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. track — to keep track
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. last — finally
  24. squash — the vegetable

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