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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wax — to grow
  4. game — a match
  5. mug — a cup
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. game — wild animals
  12. object — a thing
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mug — a face
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. object — to protest
  22. fall — to drop
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. object — an aim

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