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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: coach · spell · wax · perch · branch · firm · bear · prune

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. firm — a company
  7. spell — letters
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. firm — decided
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. firm — steady
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bear — the animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wax — to grow
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wax — in the ear

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