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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. date — the fruit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pound — for dogs

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