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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. scale — in music
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cap — of ice
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bound — certain
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mate — a friend
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — a division
  17. mate — to breed
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cap — a lid

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