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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 120 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. row — to paddle
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. branch — a division
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. ball — a dance
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wax — to grow
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a line

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