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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: rash · date · prune · arm · branch · dip · wave · field

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. date — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rash — hasty
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. field — for sport
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. branch — a division
  14. field — farmland
  15. dip — to sink
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. field — a subject
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. branch — of a bank

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