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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 124 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. branch — a division
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mine — for digging
  11. foot — a measure
  12. march — the month
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bank — of a river
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. march — the month
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. prune — to trim
  24. branch — of a tree

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