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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: board · prune · branch · press · wax · mouse · rash · face

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wax — to grow
  3. board — to get on
  4. face — to confront
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rash — hasty
  13. prune — to trim
  14. board — a committee
  15. rash — a series
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. prune — to trim
  18. face — part of the head
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. branch — a division
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. branch — of a bank

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