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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: mug · row · bore · vault · branch · prune · rest · clip

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bore — to tire
  4. row — to paddle
  5. prune — to trim
  6. branch — a division
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mug — a face
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bore — to drill
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. clip — a video
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. row — a line
  16. rest — a break
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rest — what's left
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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