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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. squash — to crush
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. chair — a leader
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. squash — the sport
  14. branch — a division
  15. wax — to grow
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mug — a cup
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mug — a face
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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