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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.

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: squash · face · scale · prune · land · stick · staff · branch

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. land — a country
  3. face — to confront
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. prune — to trim
  8. branch — a division
  9. land — ground
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. staff — employees
  12. land — to come down
  13. squash — the sport
  14. face — part of the head
  15. staff — employees
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. scale — size or range
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. staff — a stick
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. face — to point toward

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