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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. saw — the tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cap — of ice
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. can — a tin
  8. rest — a break
  9. can — a tin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cap — a hat
  12. branch — a division
  13. rest — what's left
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cap — a lid

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