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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · land · craft · branch · deal · toast · squash · field

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. field — farmland
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. field — a subject
  5. craft — a skill
  6. land — a country
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. land — to come down
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. land — ground
  16. branch — a division
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. field — for sport
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. wax — to grow
  22. toast — bread
  23. deal — to handle
  24. squash — to crush

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