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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · ball · dip · deal · mug · stick · wax · face

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. deal — to handle
  8. dip — to sink
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. face — part of the head
  16. branch — a division
  17. mug — a face
  18. ball — a dance
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  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