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

Word bank: wake · band · safe · prune · rest · branch · ruler · track

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rest — a break
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. band — a music group
  9. prune — to trim
  10. branch — a division
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. band — a ring
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. track — a path
  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