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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 120 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: pound · temple · race · march · branch · wax · cell · bay

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. branch — a division
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cell — in biology
  6. march — music
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. march — the month
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cell — a phone
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. wax — to grow

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