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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. spring — a coil
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. present — the time now
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wax — to grow
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spring — the season
  11. bulb — for light
  12. present — a gift
  13. spring — of water
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — the fish
  22. present — there
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mate — a friend

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