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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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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: bear · bat · firm · wax · can · mark · dip · branch

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mark — a trace
  6. can — a tin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. firm — steady
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. firm — decided
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. firm — a company
  22. can — a tin
  23. branch — a division
  24. mark — a grade

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