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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. board — to get on
  6. clip — to cut
  7. branch — a division
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. board — a committee
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. clip — a video
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bank — for money
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ball — a great time
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. safe — out of danger

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