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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.

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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: swing · craft · prune · branch · ground · pass · wake · trunk

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. swing — in golf
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. branch — a division
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pass — a permit
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ground — a position
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ground — crushed
  18. craft — boats
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. craft — a skill
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. swing — music

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