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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: suit · snap · branch · wave · stem · bear · scale · wax

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. scale — size or range
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. suit — in cards
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bear — the animal
  23. scale — in music
  24. branch — a division

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