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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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. press — newspapers
  4. craft — boats
  5. root — the cause
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stock — shares
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. root — of a plant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stock — goods
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. craft — a skill
  15. branch — a division
  16. press — to push
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. press — a publisher
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wax — to grow
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. root — of a word
  24. plane — a tool

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