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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.

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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 · prune · cap · swing · spell · rock · lash · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. swing — to play on
  3. branch — a division
  4. scale — in music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. spell — a short time
  8. prune — to trim
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rock — music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cap — a lid
  15. spell — letters
  16. cap — of ice
  17. spell — magic
  18. prune — to trim
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rock — a stone
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. swing — 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