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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.

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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: cue · pitch · lash · wax · branch · cold · hide · fine

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — a division
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fine — all right
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cold — not warm
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cold — an illness
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hide — to keep secret

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