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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. branch — a division
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bank — of a river
  7. track — a song
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bass — the fish
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bank — for money
  16. tube — the underground
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bank — for money
  24. track — a path

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