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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bore — to tire
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wax — to grow
  6. key — in music
  7. band — a music group
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. band — a ring
  10. suit — in cards
  11. branch — a division
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cell — a phone
  17. key — for a lock
  18. suit — to fit
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bore — to drill

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