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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: current · rest · branch · prune · bulb · wax · plane · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. current — electric
  6. prune — to trim
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rest — what's left
  12. current — happening now
  13. wax — to grow
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. current — of water
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. branch — a division

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