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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 · hide · cabinet · chair · rush · present · branch · drill

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. present — a gift
  5. branch — a division
  6. drill — army training
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. drill — the tool
  9. present — the time now
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chair — a leader
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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