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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. branch — a division
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. dip — to sink
  12. net — after costs
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bound — certain
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. branch — of a bank

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