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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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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: branch · content · shower · race · wax · scale · safe · bay

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wax — to grow
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. shower — rain
  12. scale — size or range
  13. content — the amount
  14. race — the arms race
  15. branch — a division
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. scale — in music
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. content — happy
  22. race — a contest
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. race — humankind

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