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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. branch — a division
  4. foot — a measure
  5. key — in music
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bank — for money
  8. wax — to grow
  9. kid — child
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. prune — to trim
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bank — of a river
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bank — for money
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. branch — of a bank

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