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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 116 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 · spring · band · cabinet · content · branch · pass · wake

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — happy
  8. branch — a division
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. prune — to trim
  11. band — a music group
  12. spring — the season
  13. band — a ring
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. prune — to trim
  21. content — the amount
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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