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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · bear · swing · branch · plane · rock · mine · prune

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. swing — music
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mine — for digging
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. swing — in golf
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rock — music
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. swing — to play on
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — a division
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. plane — a tool

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