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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. swing — music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. spring — a coil
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. prune — to trim
  10. swing — in golf
  11. prune — to trim
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spring — the season
  16. pop — soda
  17. branch — a division
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pop — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pop — to visit

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