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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 120 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: prune · fall · season · club · leaves · wax · suit · bark

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. club — a group
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. club — for golf
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fall — to drop
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. suit — in cards
  16. season — in sport
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fall — to drop
  19. club — for dancing
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fall — the season
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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