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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: toast · net · spell · pound · wax · mine · branch · kid

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wax — to grow
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. toast — bread
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. net — for catching
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mine — for digging
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. spell — magic
  18. net — after costs
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. spell — letters
  22. pound — a weight
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mine — belonging to me

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