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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lean — thin
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. key — in music
  6. race — humankind
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. race — the arms race
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lean — to bend
  11. key — for a lock
  12. row — a line
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. race — a contest
  17. current — electric
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. current — happening now
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. current — of water
  24. branch — a division

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