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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 116 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. net — in sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. track — a path
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. face — to confront
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rest — a break
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wax — to grow
  20. branch — a division
  21. charge — a price
  22. mark — a grade
  23. charge — in control
  24. net — after costs

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