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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. staff — a stick
  3. branch — a division
  4. fork — in a road
  5. object — to protest
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. staff — employees
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. staff — employees
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. drill — army training
  18. object — an aim
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. drill — a practice
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wax — in the ear

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