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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. branch — a division
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rest — a break
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bank — for money
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — what's left
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — a path
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. track — to keep track
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. fine — high quality
  22. track — a song
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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