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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: branch · rock · chest · cabinet · last · prune · calf · ground

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. chest — a box
  7. last — finally
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. branch — a division
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ground — the earth
  15. last — final
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ground — crushed
  18. chest — of your body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. rock — music
  22. ground — a position
  23. chest — of your body
  24. prune — to trim

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