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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. hand — in cards
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. suit — in cards
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. bound — tied together
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. suit — clothes
  14. hand — help
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wax — to grow
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. bound — certain
  23. deal — to handle
  24. suit — to fit

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