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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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. mug — a cup
  4. mark — a grade
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — finally
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. hand — help
  9. mug — a face
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. last — to go on
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rule — a law
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. last — final
  18. mark — a trace
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rule — government
  21. rock — music
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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