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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: pit · face · bark · saw · branch · nail · prune · wax

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. face — part of the head
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pit — in a race
  9. prune — to trim
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — to grow
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pit — a hole
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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