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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. object — a thing
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ground — a position
  5. object — an aim
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. land — ground
  8. wax — to grow
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — to sink
  14. object — to protest
  15. ground — crushed
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. ground — the earth
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. branch — a division
  24. staff — a stick

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