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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · pass · chair · wax · arm · branch · racket · degree

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wax — to grow
  4. degree — from a university
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. chair — a leader
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. degree — an amount
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. branch — a division
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. tube — a container
  19. pass — a permit
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — the underground
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. degree — temperature

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