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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: mark · spell · mine · rest · bass · wax · mug · branch

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. spell — letters
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rest — a break
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. bass — low music
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rest — what's left
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mark — to pay attention

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