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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. march — music
  9. firm — steady
  10. march — the month
  11. firm — decided
  12. object — to protest
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. firm — a company
  15. object — a thing
  16. season — of the year
  17. object — an aim
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cold — an illness
  22. branch — a division
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cold — not warm

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