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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.

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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: spell · wound · chip · bark · branch · temple · prune · wax

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chip — to eat
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spell — letters
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. prune — to trim
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. spell — magic
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chip — in a computer

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