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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. field — farmland
  10. root — the cause
  11. shower — rain
  12. field — a subject
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rest — a break
  21. root — of a word
  22. shower — to wash
  23. branch — a division
  24. leaves — lets stay

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