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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wax — to grow
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cap — a lid
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cap — a hat
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wake — a trail
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cap — of ice
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. calf — a young animal

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