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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 · plane · cap · ruler · fall · march · jam · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. prune — to trim
  2. fall — to drop
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. branch — a division
  6. march — the month
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cap — a hat
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fall — to drop
  14. march — music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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