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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: lie · branch · dip · bass · season · pitch · wax · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. season — of the year
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lie — to recline
  17. season — in sport
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitch — completely
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lie — an untruth

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