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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bear — the animal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. spring — the season
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wax — to grow
  24. spring — of water

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