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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. branch — a division
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. track — a path
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. charge — in control
  11. bat — the animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. charge — electricity
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wax — to grow
  17. charge — a price
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. track — a song
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. branch — of a bank

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