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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — of the year
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. track — a path
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pass — a permit
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wax — to grow
  10. track — to keep track
  11. branch — a division
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — in sport
  16. track — a song
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. race — humankind
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. ruler — a monarch

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