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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. branch — a division
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fine — all right
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. wound — an injury
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rash — hasty
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. object — a thing
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wax — to grow
  24. plane — a tool

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