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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. club — for golf
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. spell — magic
  8. season — of the year
  9. cell — in biology
  10. season — in sport
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. spell — letters
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ball — a dance
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. spell — a short time
  23. branch — a division
  24. stand — on your feet

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