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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: prune · chip · rest · pop · trunk · branch · stick · clip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — a division
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — soda
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rest — a break
  19. clip — a video
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pop — music
  22. chip — to eat
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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