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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. branch — a division
  11. rash — hasty
  12. staff — employees
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bank — for money
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. staff — a stick
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bank — for money
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. staff — employees

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