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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: swing · branch · dip · prune · lie · bulb · band · wax

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. prune — to trim
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. swing — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lie — to recline
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. branch — a division
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wax — in the ear

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