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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: hide · land · rush · wax · branch · pop · chair · rock

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. land — a country
  7. rock — music
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. land — to come down
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — ground
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rock — a stone
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. branch — a division
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rush — hurry

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