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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. board — to get on
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fine — high quality
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fine — all right
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rest — what's left
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. land — to come down
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. board — a committee
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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