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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bat — the animal
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. current — happening now
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — part of the head
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. face — to confront
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. key — the most important part
  24. face — to point toward

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