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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. object — an aim
  3. branch — a division
  4. object — a thing
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. key — for a lock
  9. suit — clothes
  10. object — to protest
  11. stem — to come from
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. key — in music
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wind — moving air
  22. suit — to fit
  23. key — the most important part
  24. suit — in cards

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