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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: branch · calf · race · field · wax · firm · prune · bulb

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. field — a subject
  5. race — a contest
  6. branch — a division
  7. wax — to grow
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. race — the arms race
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. firm — a company
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. firm — steady
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. firm — decided
  18. field — for sport
  19. race — humankind
  20. bulb — for light
  21. field — farmland
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — of the leg

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