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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. net — in sport
  4. fall — to drop
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. net — for catching
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. net — after costs
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mug — a cup

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