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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 · date · chair · branch · fine · sharp · kick · pitcher

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. date — the fruit
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. kick — in football
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fine — high quality
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chair — a leader
  24. branch — a division

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