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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bass — low music
  3. branch — a division
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. court — of a king
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. track — a song
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. bank — for money
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lie — to recline
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. track — a path
  21. bass — the fish
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bank — for money
  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