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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. band — a ring
  15. bank — for money
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rash — a series

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