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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fine — all right
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — high quality
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. tube — the underground
  12. toast — bread
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wax — to grow
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. board — to get on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ball — a great time
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. tube — a container
  24. fine — a penalty

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