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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. object — a thing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mug — a cup
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mug — a face
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ball — a dance
  16. object — to protest
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wax — to grow
  19. foot — a measure
  20. object — an aim
  21. branch — a division
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wax — in the ear

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