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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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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. branch — a division
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pound — a weight
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. deal — to handle
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. present — a gift
  21. rush — hurry
  22. snap — to click
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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