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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. suit — in cards
  4. last — finally
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. last — final
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. suit — clothes
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. branch — a division
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stand — to bear
  19. suit — to fit
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. last — to go on
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stand — on your feet

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