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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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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 · arm · lean · fork · prune · bank · cell · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lean — to bend
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fork — in a road
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. lean — thin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cell — a phone
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bank — for money
  23. arm — a part of something
  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