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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · current · branch · tube · rock · fork · bank · mine

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. tube — a container
  5. branch — a division
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wax — to grow
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bank — of a river
  16. current — happening now
  17. bank — for money
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bank — for money
  20. rock — music
  21. current — of water
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. current — electric

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