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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. current — happening now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. current — of water
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. wax — to grow
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. current — electric
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cell — a phone

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