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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.

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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: sharp · bore · branch · straw · wax · stand · net · spell

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. spell — letters
  3. net — in sport
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wax — to grow
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. spell — magic
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. sharp — clever
  11. branch — a division
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — for catching
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stand — to bear
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. net — after costs
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. spell — a short time

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