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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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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 · prune · dip · perch · march · saw · lean · net

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. march — music
  5. lean — to bend
  6. saw — the tool
  7. net — for catching
  8. saw — the tool
  9. net — after costs
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. prune — to trim
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. march — the month
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lean — thin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. branch — a division
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — to sink
  23. net — in sport
  24. branch — of a tree

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