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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bark — to shout
  7. content — happy
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mark — a trace
  17. craft — boats
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. branch — a division
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wave — with your hand

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