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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. content — happy
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. dip — to sink
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. content — the amount
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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