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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cap — a lid
  3. game — a match
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wax — to grow
  14. suit — to fit
  15. game — wild animals
  16. suit — in cards
  17. branch — a division
  18. bass — low music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bass — the fish
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wax — for sculpting

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