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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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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: wax · degree · branch · current · bowl · rock · bore · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. current — electric
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. current — of water
  11. degree — from a university
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bore — to tire
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. current — happening now
  17. rock — music
  18. branch — a division
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. degree — temperature
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bowl — a football final

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