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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
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: mug · patient · bowl · rule · hide · scale · prune · branch

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. scale — size or range
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. scale — in music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mug — a face
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mug — to rob
  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