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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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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: branch · safe · bark · firm · wound · wax · tube · capital

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. tube — a container
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. capital — a city
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. firm — decided
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. branch — a division
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wound — an injury
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. firm — steady
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. capital — money
  19. firm — a company
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. tube — the underground
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — to shout

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