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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pass — a permit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. scale — size or range
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. scale — in music
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wax — to grow
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. leaves — lets stay

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