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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — to bend
  5. club — for golf
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lean — thin
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. deal — to handle
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. club — a group
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rest — a break
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. rest — what's left
  19. branch — a division
  20. face — to point toward
  21. club — for dancing
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lean — to rest against

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