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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. board — a committee
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. board — to get on
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wax — to grow
  9. root — of a plant
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. branch — a division
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. root — of a word
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — the cause
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mark — to pay attention

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