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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: mine · sharp · rash · prune · stick · branch · mate · pit

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. sharp — clever
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — a hole
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mate — a friend
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rash — a series
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mate — to breed
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. branch — a division

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