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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 124 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. branch — a division
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. toast — bread
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. prune — the fruit

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