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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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Word bank
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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: lie · pit · branch · prune · saw · wax · ball · fan

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pit — a hole
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lie — to recline
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. branch — a division
  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