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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. branch — a division
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. march — music
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chest — of your body
  12. march — the month
  13. chest — of your body
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chest — a box
  16. pass — a permit
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. prune — to trim
  21. key — the most important part
  22. march — the month
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wax — in the ear

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