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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. tube — a container
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rash — hasty
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bore — to drill
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rash — a series

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