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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 · saw · craft · lean · bear · arm · wax · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. snap — to click
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lean — to bend
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lean — thin
  17. branch — a division
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. craft — boats
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. saw — the tool

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