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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. branch — a division
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stock — goods
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stock — shares
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bear — the animal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bass — low music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. foot — a measure

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