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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.

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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: prune · sharp · object · content · mine · lie · hide · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. object — to protest
  4. lie — to recline
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. object — an aim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. content — the amount
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mine — for digging
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. content — happy
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. object — a thing
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. hide — to keep secret

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