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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bear — the animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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