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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rock · wax · land · bound · march

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — a stone
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rock — music
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bound — certain
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. branch — a division
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. land — ground
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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