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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 · bear · pass · squash · band · bank · craft · branch

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pass — a permit
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bear — the animal
  5. band — a music group
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. branch — a division
  8. craft — boats
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. squash — the sport
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wax — in the ear

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