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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.

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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: prune · rest · branch · stand · clip · bass · season · saw

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rest — what's left
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. season — in sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bass — low music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. saw — the tool
  16. clip — for paper
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rest — a break
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. clip — to cut
  22. season — of the year
  23. saw — the tool
  24. clip — a video

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