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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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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: wake · snap · coach · trunk · stick · pit · branch · wax

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pit — a hole
  18. branch — a division
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. snap — to click
  24. coach — a trainer

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