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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wax — to grow
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bank — for money
  15. track — a song
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. track — a path
  18. bark — a dog's sound

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