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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: bass · fine · cue · wax · hand · date · pass · branch

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fine — all right
  5. wax — to grow
  6. branch — a division
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. hand — help
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bass — low music
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bass — the fish

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