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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 · bowl · arm · dip · mug · land · spring · wax

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. land — ground
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mug — to rob
  16. land — to come down
  17. spring — of water
  18. dip — to sink
  19. land — a country
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mug — a face
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mug — a cup
  24. arm — a part of something

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