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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: rash · branch · content · rock · wax · present · deal · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wind — moving air
  12. present — the time now
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. present — there
  15. content — happy
  16. branch — a division
  17. rock — music
  18. present — a gift
  19. rash — a series
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rash — hasty
  23. content — the amount
  24. rock — to move gently

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