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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. branch — a division
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bear — the animal
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ground — a position
  14. suit — to fit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bat — the animal
  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