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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: board · prune · pop · present · rest · branch · lean · arm

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pop — soda
  5. board — a committee
  6. present — a gift
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. prune — to trim
  10. board — to get on
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pop — music
  14. present — the time now
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. branch — a division
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lean — to bend
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pop — to visit

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