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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: wax · bank · branch · last · squash · fan · safe · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wax — to grow
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — final
  16. branch — a division
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. last — finally
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bank — of a river
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. last — to go on

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