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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. club — for dancing
  11. current — of water
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. file — a tool
  14. club — for golf
  15. present — there
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. branch — a division
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. club — a group

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