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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: degree · jam · row · mug · lean · branch · prune · kick

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. lean — to bend
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mug — a cup
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. row — to paddle
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mug — a face
  20. row — a line
  21. kick — in football
  22. lean — thin
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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