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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. track — to keep track
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. track — a song
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. track — a path
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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