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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rest — a break
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rest — what's left
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bear — the animal
  24. dip — to dunk

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