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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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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: date · wax · fall · hide · dip · branch · swing · pound

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fall — to drop
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. swing — to play on
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. dip — to sink
  9. swing — music
  10. pound — a weight
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. date — the fruit
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wax — to grow
  24. branch — a division

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