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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. last — to go on
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. last — finally
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rock — music
  11. scale — in music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. branch — a division
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. last — final
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. prune — the fruit

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