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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: patient · board · prune · perch · object · branch · bark · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. perch — the fish
  3. prune — to trim
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bark — to shout
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. prune — to trim
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. board — to get on
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. board — a committee
  21. object — a thing
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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