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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. branch — a division
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rest — a break
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bound — tied together
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bound — certain
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. temple — a place of worship

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