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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. content — the amount
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. content — happy
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ground — a position
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mate — to breed
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. branch — a division
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wax — for sculpting

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