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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
468
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: stand · branch · trunk · chip · lean · hide · prune · march

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. march — the month
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. branch — a division
  9. lean — thin
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. march — music
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lean — to bend
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. march — the month
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chip — for betting

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