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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. track — a path
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. track — a song
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. scale — in music
  14. wax — to grow
  15. scale — size or range
  16. branch — a division
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. current — of water
  24. track — to keep track

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