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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. season — in sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wax — to grow
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. trunk — of a car

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