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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. branch — a division
  5. sharp — clever
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. band — a music group
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. band — a ring
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pop — soda
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pop — music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. land — a country

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