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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: wax · cap · rock · bark · deal · shower · branch · toast

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bark — to shout
  8. deal — to handle
  9. shower — rain
  10. rock — music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cap — a lid
  13. shower — to wash
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wax — to grow
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. cap — a hat
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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