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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.

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: prune · cabinet · snap · stand · branch · net · season · present

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. net — for catching
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — the time now
  12. snap — to click
  13. prune — to trim
  14. season — in sport
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. net — in sport
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. net — after costs
  21. branch — a division
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. branch — of a tree

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