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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: mug · wax · spring · branch · nail · content · can · plane

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wax — to grow
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mug — to rob
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. can — a tin
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. content — the amount
  11. spring — of water
  12. mug — a cup
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spring — a coil
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mug — a face
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. branch — a division
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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