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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · wax · net · snap · face · arm · branch · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. squash — to crush
  4. branch — a division
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. face — to confront
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. scale — in music
  13. face — to point toward
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — in sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. net — after costs
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. net — for catching
  23. snap — to click
  24. squash — the sport

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