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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. season — of the year
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. branch — a division
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bark — to shout
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bulb — for light
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stand — to bear
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wax — for sculpting

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