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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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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bulb — for light
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. branch — a division
  9. drill — the tool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bank — for money
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. drill — army training
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bulb — of a plant

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