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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wound — an injury
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cap — a hat
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. snap — to click
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cap — of ice
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cap — a lid
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. calf — a young animal

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