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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. season — of the year
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rule — government
  6. bat — the animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bank — for money
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rule — a law
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bank — for money
  23. perch — the fish
  24. season — in sport

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