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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 120 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: wax · branch · prune · pitcher · patient · cue · bay · wave

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wax — to grow
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cue — for pool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cue — a signal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. branch — a division
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wave — with your hand

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