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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 116 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: branch · file · mate · stand · wax · ground · rock · can

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. can — to be able to
  3. file — a line of people
  4. can — a tin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ground — a position
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rock — a stone
  15. branch — a division
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rock — music
  18. file — a document
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. file — a tool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. can — a tin

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