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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bank — for money
  3. swing — music
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. tear — from crying
  7. club — for golf
  8. scale — size or range
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — of a river
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. swing — to play on
  16. tear — to rip
  17. scale — in music
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. club — a group
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. branch — a division

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