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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. wax — to grow
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tube — the underground
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. swing — in golf
  15. sharp — clever
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. swing — music
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. branch — a division
  21. swing — to play on
  22. staff — a stick
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tube — a container

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