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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 116 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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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: branch · clip · fine · lean · trunk · stick · prune · bound

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bound — certain
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fine — high quality
  7. prune — to trim
  8. clip — a video
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — a division
  19. lean — to bend
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fine — all right
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — obliged
  24. prune — the fruit

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