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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.

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: bore · pit · branch · plane · hide · prune · row · bulb

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. prune — to trim
  3. pit — a hole
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bore — to tire
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pit — in a race
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. branch — a division
  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