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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. branch — a division
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wax — to grow
  10. board — a committee
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. board — to get on
  17. fine — high quality
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fine — all right
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fall — to drop

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