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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · race · branch · ruler · jam · wax · shower · pop

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wax — to grow
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pop — to visit
  9. shower — rain
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. race — the arms race
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rash — a series
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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