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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mine · wake · pit · deal · wax · face · spring

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mine — for digging
  5. spring — of water
  6. pit — a hole
  7. face — part of the head
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. spring — a coil
  12. face — to confront
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wax — to grow
  19. branch — a division
  20. face — to point toward
  21. deal — to handle
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. spring — the season
  24. mine — belonging to me

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