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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ground — crushed
  20. branch — a division
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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