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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 120 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — a division
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rock — music
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mine — for digging
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rock — a stone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bound — certain
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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