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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 124 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mug — a face
  5. wax — to grow
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stock — shares
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. branch — a division
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stock — goods
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. key — in music
  24. sharp — with an edge

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