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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. branch — a division
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rash — a series
  6. tube — the underground
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. drill — the tool
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. tube — a container
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. drill — army training
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mark — a grade

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