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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wax — to grow
  3. branch — a division
  4. mug — a cup
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mug — a face
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rule — a law
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rule — government
  24. branch — of a bank

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