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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. row — a line
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. track — a path
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. row — to paddle
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. track — a song
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. track — to keep track
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wax — in the ear

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