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

Word bank: toast · chair · pop · cap · last · wax · branch · fan

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. last — to go on
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. toast — bread
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wax — to grow
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chair — a leader

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