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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 116 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. season — in sport
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. branch — a division
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. season — of the year
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. patient — a sick person

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