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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pass — a permit
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. march — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. march — the month
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. wind — moving air
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. temple — a place of worship

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