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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: club · prune · staff · jam · hide · branch · fall · dip

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. club — a group
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. branch — a division
  4. prune — to trim
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. club — for golf
  7. dip — to sink
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fall — to drop
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. staff — employees
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. club — for dancing
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. prune — to trim
  19. staff — a stick
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fall — the season
  23. staff — employees
  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