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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. can — a tin
  15. branch — a division
  16. ball — a great time
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pit — in a race

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