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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · fine · wound · stick · capital · chest · wax · branch

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chest — of your body
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. can — a tin
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. can — a tin
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. branch — a division
  15. chest — a box
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. capital — money
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. capital — a city
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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