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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · mug · cue · season · current · branch · wax · leaves

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. current — of water
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. season — of the year
  8. mug — a face
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. current — electric
  12. mug — a cup
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. season — in sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. branch — a division
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cue — a signal
  21. field — a subject
  22. current — happening now
  23. field — for sport
  24. cue — a hint

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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