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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.

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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: march · fine · branch · wax · lash · ground · mug · firm

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. firm — a company
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. ground — the earth
  10. march — music
  11. ground — crushed
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. march — the month
  15. mug — a face
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. march — the month
  24. ground — a position

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