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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: spring · branch · wave · prune · saw · coach · deal · ruler

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spring — of water
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spring — a coil
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spring — the season
  23. deal — to handle
  24. saw — the tool

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