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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. branch — a division
  6. row — to paddle
  7. file — a tool
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bank — of a river
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bank — for money
  12. mug — a face
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bank — for money
  15. mug — to rob
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. row — a line
  21. cap — of ice
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cap — a lid

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