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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 116 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: bank · fine · wax · branch · press · wake · bay · chair

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. branch — a division
  12. bank — for money
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. press — to push
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bank — of a river
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wax — in the ear

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