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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chip — to eat
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mug — a face
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — a division
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mug — to rob
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mug — a cup
  22. drill — army training
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. sharp — exactly

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