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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: fan · branch · kid · dip · wave · lean · ruler · wax

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wax — to grow
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. branch — a division
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. kid — child
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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