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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bear — the animal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. file — a tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pop — to visit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. file — a line of people
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a document
  16. prune — to trim
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lie — to recline
  20. branch — a division
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. pop — music
  24. bear — the animal

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