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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. shower — rain
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a ring
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. band — a music group
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wax — to grow
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. object — an aim
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. shower — to wash
  24. tube — a container

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