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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: wax · club · mate · date · safe · bass · branch · coach

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mate — a friend
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. club — for golf
  7. mate — a partner
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bass — low music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. date — the fruit
  22. branch — a division
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. club — a group

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