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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 · lean · wake · rush · wax · deal · march · spell

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. spell — letters
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. march — music
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. branch — a division
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. march — the month
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lean — thin
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rush — hurry

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