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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wax — to grow
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lean — thin
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rash — hasty
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. track — a song
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bear — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. dip — to sink
  23. track — a path
  24. lean — to bend

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