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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. tube — a container
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. branch — a division
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ball — a dance
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. tube — the underground
  21. spell — magic
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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