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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. root — the cause
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. root — of a word
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wave — of the sea

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