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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: rock · chest · suit · roll · prune · saw · branch · net

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rock — a stone
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. chest — of your body
  5. net — for catching
  6. branch — a division
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. rock — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chest — a box
  14. roll — a cake
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. prune — to trim
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. suit — clothes
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. chest — of your body
  23. roll — a list
  24. suit — to fit

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