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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — hasty
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. season — of the year
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. branch — a division
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pop — soda
  20. rash — a series
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. season — in sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lie — an untruth

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