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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: wave · vault · branch · plane · leaves · shower · root · prune

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. shower — rain
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. root — of a word
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. plane — a tool
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. prune — to trim
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. root — the cause
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. root — of a plant
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. shower — to wash

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