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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. branch — a division
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — a break
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rest — what's left
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — goods
  15. rule — a law
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mark — a grade
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stock — shares
  23. mark — a trace
  24. foot — the bottom

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