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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bass — low music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wax — to grow
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. board — a committee
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. branch — a division
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rush — to hurry

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