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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — the fish
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rest — what's left
  17. court — of law
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. drill — army training
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. court — for sport
  22. rest — a break
  23. court — of a king
  24. bass — low music

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