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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 124 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cue — for pool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. present — a gift
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. cue — a signal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. present — the time now
  19. wax — to grow
  20. game — a match
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cue — a hint
  23. foot — a measure
  24. branch — a division

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