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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pop — music
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pop — to visit
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wax — to grow
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kick — in football
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pop — soda
  18. root — the cause
  19. branch — a division
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a word
  24. lash — to lash out

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