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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 116 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: fine · perch · prune · branch · present · leaves · bore · snap

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fine — all right
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bore — to tire
  7. branch — a division
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. bore — to drill
  11. present — the time now
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. perch — the fish
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. prune — to trim
  16. present — there
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. present — a gift
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fine — high quality
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — to go away
  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