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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bark — to shout
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. present — there
  6. branch — a division
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cold — an illness
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. present — a gift
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. object — to protest
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. root — of a word
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. present — the time now

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