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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. march — music
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. season — in sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. season — of the year
  18. branch — a division
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cell — a phone
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wax — to grow
  24. nail — on a finger

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