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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. branch — a division
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bank — for money
  12. wound — an injury
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bank — of a river
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wound — an injury
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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