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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wax — to grow
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rock — music
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cell — in biology
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bank — for money
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. can — a tin
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rock — a stone
  23. can — a tin
  24. kid — child

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