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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bound — obliged
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. branch — a division
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. dip — to sink
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wax — to grow
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. file — a tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. file — a line of people
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. tube — a container
  18. bound — certain
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. file — a document
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. bound — tied together
  24. tube — in a tire

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