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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. shower — to wash
  3. branch — a division
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. dip — to sink
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. shower — rain
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. degree — temperature

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