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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pitch — completely
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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