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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. can — to be able to
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. net — after costs
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stand — to bear
  16. can — a tin
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. can — a tin
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wax — to grow
  22. net — for catching
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. saw — the 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