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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rest · scale · tear · coach · row · prune · board · branch

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tear — to rip
  5. scale — in music
  6. row — a line
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rest — what's left
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rest — a break
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — to get on
  19. scale — size or range
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — a committee
  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