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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rock — a stone
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wax — to grow
  11. face — to point toward
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. face — to confront
  17. branch — a division
  18. bore — to tire
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. content — happy
  22. rock — music
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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