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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: wax · branch · can · club · saw · snap · bark · deal

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. club — a group
  3. snap — to click
  4. club — for golf
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. deal — to handle
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wax — to grow
  12. can — a tin
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. saw — the tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — to shout
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. can — to be able to

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