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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bulb — for light
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. charge — in control
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. branch — a division
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. present — there
  24. bat — in an idiom

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