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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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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. court — of a king
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. can — a tin
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. court — of law
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. can — to be able to
  20. court — for sport
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wax — to grow
  23. spell — magic
  24. mouse — for a computer

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