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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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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: band · branch · dip · stick · clip · safe · prune · drill

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — for paper
  4. drill — army training
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. prune — to trim
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. band — a music group
  10. clip — to cut
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. drill — a practice
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. drill — the tool
  17. dip — to sink
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. branch — a division
  22. band — a ring
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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