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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spell — magic
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fork — in a road
  16. charge — in control
  17. rock — a stone
  18. charge — a price
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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