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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: spring · face · suit · wound · branch · rush · prune · date

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. face — part of the head
  4. branch — a division
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spring — a coil
  9. face — to point toward
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. spring — the season
  17. prune — to trim
  18. face — to confront
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spring — of water
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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