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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. firm — decided
  9. branch — a division
  10. last — final
  11. mug — to rob
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bank — for money
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bank — for money
  18. last — finally
  19. chair — a leader
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mug — a face
  24. last — to go on

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