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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: branch · saw · rule · bore · shower · suit · prune · arm

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. suit — to fit
  3. branch — a division
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — a law
  6. saw — the tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. shower — to wash
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. prune — to trim
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. prune — the fruit

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