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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: branch · mate · wax · straw · mug · toast · net · shower

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. shower — rain
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. net — after costs
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. net — in sport
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mate — to breed
  14. toast — bread
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mug — to rob
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mate — a partner
  23. branch — a division
  24. mate — a friend

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