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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. staff — employees
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. branch — a division
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. charge — in control
  9. rest — what's left
  10. charge — a price
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. charge — electricity
  17. staff — employees
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. staff — a stick
  24. branch — of a tree

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