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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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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: branch · suit · pop · toast · calf · march · cold · wax

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. pop — music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. branch — a division
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. march — the month
  12. cold — an illness
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pop — soda
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cold — not warm
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  24. toast — bread

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