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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: bear · branch · wax · wake · lean · track · prune · staff

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wake — a trail
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. staff — employees
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lean — to bend
  8. track — a song
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lean — thin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — a division
  20. track — to keep track
  21. staff — employees
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. track — a path
  24. prune — to trim

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