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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. face — to confront
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fork — in a road
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pit — a hole
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. pit — in a race
  18. face — part of the head
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. club — a group
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rash — hasty

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