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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 · leaves · branch · object · bark · swing · rock · current

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. object — a thing
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bark — to shout
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. current — electric
  8. object — to protest
  9. prune — to trim
  10. object — an aim
  11. current — of water
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. current — happening now
  15. branch — a division
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. swing — music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rock — music

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