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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — to crush
  10. branch — a division
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lean — to bend
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lean — thin

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