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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. branch — a division
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — to drill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. current — of water
  10. bore — to tire
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rule — a law
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rule — government
  17. current — happening now
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. kick — in football

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