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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: stock · bore · wax · lash · leaves · file · branch · pitch

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stock — shares
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wax — to grow
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. file — a tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. branch — a division
  18. bore — to tire
  19. file — a document
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitch — completely
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wax — for sculpting

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