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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · branch · rock · calf · bay · coach · bear · clip

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — a division
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rock — a stone
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. clip — to cut
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rock — music
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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