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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. branch — a division
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bass — the fish
  13. season — in sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. season — of the year
  22. bass — low music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. season — to add flavour

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