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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: suit · land · prune · leaves · press · branch · wax · toast

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. suit — clothes
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. suit — in cards
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. press — to push
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. toast — bread
  18. land — to come down
  19. suit — to fit
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  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