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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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 tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. branch — a division
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rash — a series
  18. wind — moving air
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wind — moving air
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — the animal
  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