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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cell — in biology
  8. press — to push
  9. cell — a phone
  10. can — a tin
  11. wind — moving air
  12. can — a tin
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wax — to grow
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. press — a publisher
  23. plane — a tool
  24. press — newspapers

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