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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. pit — a hole
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rash — hasty
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. wax — to grow
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. stock — shares
  15. branch — a division
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stock — goods
  23. branch — of a tree
  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