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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. kid — child
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. shower — to wash
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. shower — rain
  13. rock — music
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rock — a stone
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mouse — the animal

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