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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: branch · stock · track · arm · coach · dip · snap · wax

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. track — a path
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wax — to grow
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stock — goods
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. track — to keep track
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stock — shares
  15. branch — a division
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. dip — to sink
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to click
  24. arm — part of the body

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