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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 116 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 · branch · lean · race · mug · mouse · degree · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. club — for golf
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mug — a cup
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lean — thin
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mug — a face
  13. wax — to grow
  14. race — a contest
  15. degree — from a university
  16. race — humankind
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. degree — temperature
  22. race — the arms race
  23. lean — to bend
  24. club — a group

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