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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: bank · spring · leaves · staff · branch · prune · face · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. spell — magic
  2. spring — a coil
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. face — to confront
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — for money
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. face — part of the head
  13. spring — the season
  14. face — to point toward
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — of a river
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — a division
  21. spring — of water
  22. prune — to trim
  23. staff — employees
  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