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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: wax · prune · bulb · branch · object · pit · rash · race

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. object — an aim
  3. branch — a division
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. race — a contest
  7. wax — to grow
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. object — a thing
  15. rash — a series
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. object — to protest
  19. race — humankind
  20. bulb — for light
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pit — a hole
  23. race — the arms race
  24. wax — in the ear

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