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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.

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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: sharp · dip · lean · court · clip · branch · wax · nail

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. dip — to sink
  4. court — of law
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. court — of a king
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lean — to bend
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lean — thin
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. court — for sport
  14. clip — to cut
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wax — to grow
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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