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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. game — a match
  4. stock — shares
  5. bass — the fish
  6. branch — a division
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bass — low music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stock — goods
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. game — wild animals

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