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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.

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: racket · race · mug · mouse · wax · rush · branch · mate

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. branch — a division
  11. race — a contest
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — a friend
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rush — hurry

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