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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: ball · content · wave · racket · branch · snap · swing · wax

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. swing — music
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. ball — a dance
  11. swing — to play on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. branch — a division
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. swing — in golf
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. racket — for tennis

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