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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. object — an aim
  5. track — to keep track
  6. can — a tin
  7. object — a thing
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. track — a song
  12. rest — what's left
  13. branch — a division
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. can — a tin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. object — to protest
  20. wax — to grow
  21. track — a path
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rash — a series
  24. rest — a break

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