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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. spell — a short time
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wax — to grow
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. spell — magic
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chip — to eat
  23. spell — letters
  24. chip — in a computer

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