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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 120 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: mark · dip · branch · kick · game · nail · track · wax

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mark — a trace
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. track — a song
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mark — a grade
  14. branch — a division
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. track — a path
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. track — to keep track
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. game — a kind of play

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