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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: plane · dip · rush · wave · fork · branch · prune · sharp

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. sharp — clever
  10. prune — to trim
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. plane — a tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. branch — a division
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. prune — to trim
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rush — hurry

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