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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 116 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: lie · wax · cue · mine · mark · branch · prune · kick

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wax — to grow
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. kick — in football
  12. branch — a division
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mark — a grade
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lie — to recline

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