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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. row — to paddle
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. row — a line
  11. cap — of ice
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cap — a lid
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. branch — a division
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tube — a container
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. safe — a strongbox

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