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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: row · wax · deal · key · cabinet · last · pop · branch

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. last — finally
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. last — to go on
  9. pop — soda
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pop — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. row — a line
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. deal — to handle
  17. last — final
  18. pop — to visit
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wax — to grow
  24. deal — an agreement

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