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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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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. track — a path
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — a song
  14. squash — the sport
  15. branch — a division
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wax — to grow
  19. kick — in football
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bark — to shout
  24. squash — to crush

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