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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. swing — to play on
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rest — a break
  8. stock — goods
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bank — for money
  11. stock — shares
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bank — for money
  14. swing — in golf
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bank — of a river
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. swing — music
  23. suit — clothes
  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