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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 120 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: branch · bank · leaves · pop · prune · dip · lie · chair

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pop — music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. prune — to trim
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pop — soda
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — to visit
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. lie — an untruth

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