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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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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: calf · march · wax · cap · roll · date · prune · branch

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. march — the month
  3. cap — a hat
  4. date — the fruit
  5. branch — a division
  6. prune — to trim
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. roll — a list
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cap — of ice
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. march — the month
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. march — music
  24. calf — a young animal

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