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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: shower · fan · branch · wax · pitcher · chip · pit · lie

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. shower — rain
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — for betting
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wax — to grow
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chip — to eat
  24. branch — of a tree

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