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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stock — shares
  4. wax — to grow
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stock — goods
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wound — an injury
  19. drill — army training
  20. chair — a leader
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. branch — a division
  24. drill — 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