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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. board — to get on
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. board — a committee
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — a song
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rush — to hurry

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