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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: prune · wave · bank · leaves · lash · bass · club · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. bass — the fish
  6. prune — to trim
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bass — low music
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. prune — to trim
  15. club — for golf
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bank — of a river
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. club — a group
  24. wave — with your hand

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