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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. net — after costs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. dip — to sink
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — in sport
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — for catching
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. swing — music
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. branch — a division

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