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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wax — to grow
  6. track — to keep track
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mate — a partner
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. track — a song
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. scale — size or range
  19. branch — a division
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mate — a friend
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. track — a path
  24. scale — in music

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