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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. branch — a division
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — in music
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fall — the season
  16. rock — music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rock — a stone
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wax — to grow
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fall — to drop

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