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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: wake · bark · pass · fine · branch · bulb · prune · dip

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. branch — a division
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. dip — to sink
  21. fine — high quality
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pass — a permit

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