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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wax — to grow
  8. present — there
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. present — the time now
  14. branch — a division
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. present — a gift
  20. bark — to shout
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chip — in 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