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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · branch · bark · bulb · rest · wave · fine · clip

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bark — to shout
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. clip — a video
  14. rest — what's left
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. branch — a division
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rest — a break

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