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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mate — a partner
  4. prune — to trim
  5. branch — a division
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mate — a friend
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lean — thin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. lean — to bend
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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