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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: pitcher · bound · field · wax · branch · mate · snap · charge

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mate — to breed
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. charge — in control
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. field — a subject
  9. bound — tied together
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mate — a friend
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. snap — to click
  15. field — for sport
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. charge — a price
  24. field — farmland

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