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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 120 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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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: cell · rest · wax · pitch · arm · coach · branch · snap

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitch — completely
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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