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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bank — of a river
  3. branch — a division
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. field — a subject
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bound — obliged
  15. field — for sport
  16. vault — a safe
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. field — farmland
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bound — certain
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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