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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. march — the month
  4. chest — a box
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. chest — of your body
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. branch — a division
  9. roll — a cake
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. chest — of your body
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. march — the month
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. march — music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. roll — a list
  24. plane — an aircraft

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