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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · lash · branch · chair · plane · squash · ground · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. squash — to crush
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. plane — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — a division
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. ground — a position
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. chair — a leader
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ground — the earth
  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