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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 120 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: season · prune · cold · branch · pass · drill · hide · degree

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. drill — the tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pass — a permit
  6. degree — from a university
  7. season — of the year
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. drill — army training
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cold — an illness
  21. prune — to trim
  22. degree — temperature
  23. season — in sport
  24. degree — an amount

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