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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 · wave · stock · press · bowl · content · spell · wax

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stock — goods
  8. content — happy
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. content — the amount
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. press — to push
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. press — newspapers
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. branch — a division
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stock — shares
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wax — to grow

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