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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. craft — boats
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. branch — a division
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mark — a trace
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cell — a phone
  24. craft — a skill

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