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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · wax · deal · prune · toast · season · branch · lash

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. branch — a division
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wax — to grow
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. season — in sport
  13. toast — bread
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — for sport
  16. prune — to trim
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. court — of a king
  20. season — of the year
  21. court — of law
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. season — to add flavour

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