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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: prune · lash · branch · lean · wind · staff · face · cue

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. face — to point toward
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cue — a signal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — thin
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. prune — to trim
  16. face — to confront
  17. staff — employees
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wind — moving air
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cue — a hint
  24. branch — a division

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