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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. face — part of the head
  4. branch — a division
  5. shower — rain
  6. board — to get on
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tube — a container
  9. wax — to grow
  10. drill — army training
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. shower — to wash
  13. face — to point toward
  14. drill — a practice
  15. face — to confront
  16. rush — hurry
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. drill — the tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. branch — of a tree

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