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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. season — in sport
  8. wax — to grow
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. chip — to eat
  13. net — after costs
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. net — for catching
  16. season — of the year
  17. chip — for betting
  18. net — in sport
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wax — for sculpting

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