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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: arm · prune · branch · fine · wave · leaves · mark · calf

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mark — a grade
  3. branch — a division
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. prune — to trim
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mark — a trace
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — all right
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. arm — part of the body

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