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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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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: rush · prune · chair · rock · stand · mark · branch · season

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. season — in sport
  4. rush — hurry
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stand — to bear
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — of the year
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rock — a stone
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. branch — a division
  23. mark — a trace
  24. branch — of a tree

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