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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 120 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. pop — soda
  3. firm — steady
  4. cap — of ice
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. firm — a company
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wax — to grow
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. firm — decided
  19. can — a tin
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. branch — a division
  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