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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. roll — a list
  4. branch — a division
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. field — a subject
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. field — farmland
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. scale — in music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. scale — size or range
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. root — of a word
  23. field — for sport
  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