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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 116 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. swing — music
  10. wax — to grow
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. season — in sport
  22. swing — to play on
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wax — in the ear

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