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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fall — to drop
  6. charge — in control
  7. branch — a division
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. charge — a price
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fall — the season
  15. chip — for betting
  16. race — a contest
  17. fall — to drop
  18. march — music
  19. race — humankind
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. race — the arms race
  22. march — the month
  23. ball — a dance
  24. charge — electricity

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