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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. last — finally
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. clip — a video
  11. last — to go on
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. last — final
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. branch — a division
  19. drill — the tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. clip — to cut

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