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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: branch · ruler · prune · row · wax · fall · band · temple

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. band — a music group
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. band — a ring
  17. wax — to grow
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fall — the season
  21. row — a line
  22. fall — to drop
  23. branch — a division
  24. row — to paddle

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