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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. drill — a practice
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. drill — army training
  10. snap — to click
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. prune — to trim
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. row — a line
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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