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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bank — for money
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wax — to grow
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. snap — to click
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. deal — to handle
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lean — thin
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bank — of a river
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lean — to bend
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wax — in the ear

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