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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. branch — a division
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wind — moving air
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. leaves — lets stay

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