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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: stick · branch · spell · cap · wax · rock · cold · pop

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pop — soda
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cap — a lid
  13. spell — letters
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cold — an illness
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — magic
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. branch — a division
  24. wax — for sculpting

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