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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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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: date · stick · branch · trunk · perch · wave · prune · stem

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. branch — a division
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. date — the fruit
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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