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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 120 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: wave · straw · branch · wax · can · race · bound · scale

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bound — tied together
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bound — certain
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wax — to grow
  10. can — to be able to
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. scale — in music
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bound — obliged
  22. can — a tin
  23. scale — size or range
  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