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

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mate — to breed
  4. firm — decided
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. branch — a division
  11. fall — to drop
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bound — certain
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. firm — steady
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bark — to shout
  18. firm — a company
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fall — the season
  23. bound — obliged
  24. prune — to trim

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