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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. club — for dancing
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wax — to grow
  5. suit — in cards
  6. branch — a division
  7. club — a group
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. band — a music group
  11. present — there
  12. club — for golf
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. present — the time now
  16. suit — to fit
  17. band — a ring
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. present — a gift
  23. suit — clothes
  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