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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.

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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. pop — soda
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mark — a trace
  5. tube — the underground
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. snap — to click
  9. tube — a container
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pop — music
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pop — to visit
  15. can — a tin
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wax — to grow
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cap — a hat
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — of ice
  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