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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
468
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: bear · branch · season · calf · wax · tear · fine · degree

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. tear — from crying
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wax — to grow
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. season — in sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. season — of the year
  18. fine — all right
  19. tear — from crying
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. degree — from a university

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