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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. branch — a division
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bear — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — music
  24. bear — to put up with

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