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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · mouse · pound · wax · bass · row · branch · net

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. net — in sport
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. row — a line
  6. pound — a weight
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. net — after costs
  11. row — to paddle
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. branch — a division
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bass — the fish
  17. net — for catching
  18. bass — low music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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