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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · bear · snap · season · racket · cabinet · branch · mark

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mark — a grade
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mark — a trace
  14. season — of the year
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. snap — to click
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. season — in sport
  24. racket — a loud noise

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