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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. field — a subject
  3. wax — to grow
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hand — help
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. hand — in cards
  10. branch — a division
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. field — farmland
  18. key — for a lock
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. field — for sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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