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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · prune · foot · branch · ground · saw

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. prune — to trim
  3. foot — a measure
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ground — the earth
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ground — a position
  18. 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