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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bank — for money
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bank — for money
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cue — for pool
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. branch — a division
  16. stock — goods
  17. rule — government
  18. bank — of a river
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stock — shares
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wax — to grow

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