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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pass — a permit
  8. swing — to play on
  9. branch — a division
  10. wax — to grow
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. track — a path
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. track — to keep track
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. key — in music
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. track — a song
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pass — to spend time

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