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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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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: branch · mug · key · row · prune · wound · saw · temple

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wound — an injury
  8. prune — to trim
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mug — a face
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mug — a cup
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. row — a line
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. row — to paddle
  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