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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mug — a face
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pass — a permit
  17. chest — a box
  18. wax — to grow
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wound — an injury
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pass — to succeed

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