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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: branch · mouse · kick · bear · squash · band · wax · bank

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. branch — a division
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. band — a music group
  9. bank — of a river
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. band — a ring
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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