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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. face — to confront
  4. key — in music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. capital — money
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. face — part of the head
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. branch — a division
  22. capital — a city
  23. wax — to grow
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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