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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 120 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: craft · wax · prune · game · branch · dip · patient · stand

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. prune — to trim
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. prune — to trim
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. game — a match
  10. stand — to bear
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wax — to grow
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. craft — boats
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. branch — a division
  20. craft — a skill
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. game — wild animals

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