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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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 — of a tree
  2. land — a country
  3. present — there
  4. land — ground
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — for dancing
  7. present — the time now
  8. club — for golf
  9. present — a gift
  10. rest — a break
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rash — a series
  13. club — a group
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rash — hasty
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rest — what's left
  20. land — to come down
  21. rest — what's left
  22. branch — a division
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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