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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 120 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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. key — in music
  5. rash — a series
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bore — to drill
  8. key — for a lock
  9. court — of law
  10. branch — a division
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rash — hasty
  13. court — of a king
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bore — to tire
  20. court — for sport
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bound — certain

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