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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: deal · lie · foot · mate · last · lean · prune · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lean — to bend
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mate — to breed
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mate — a friend
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. last — to go on
  11. lean — thin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lie — to recline
  15. last — final
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. last — finally
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. foot — a measure
  24. branch — a division

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