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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wake — a trail
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — a hat
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. can — a tin
  15. branch — a division
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. can — a tin
  24. cap — a lid

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