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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.

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: pass · perch · toast · wound · branch · prune · staff · bat

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wound — an injury
  3. branch — a division
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. staff — employees
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wound — an injury
  11. prune — to trim
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. toast — bread
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bat — the animal
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. prune — to trim

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