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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. season — of the year
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mate — a friend
  18. season — in sport
  19. present — a gift
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. drill — army training
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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