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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: prune · branch · mouse · straw · club · wax · stem · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. club — for golf
  8. prune — to trim
  9. club — for dancing
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stem — to come from
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. prune — to trim
  19. club — a group
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. branch — a division
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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