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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: branch · wax · last · bulb · swing · fine · firm · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. last — final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. branch — a division
  8. swing — music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. swing — to play on
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wax — to grow
  13. net — in sport
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. net — after costs
  20. fine — all right
  21. bulb — for light
  22. swing — in golf
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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