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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: wax · pound · prune · kid · mouse · wave · pass · branch

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pass — a permit
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wax — to grow
  7. branch — a division
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pound — a weight
  13. kid — child
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mouse — the 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