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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · wax · branch · snap · tube · object · wound · bat

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wound — an injury
  4. object — a thing
  5. tube — a container
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bat — the animal
  10. snap — to click
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. branch — a division
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. object — an aim
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. object — to protest
  24. bat — in an idiom

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