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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · branch · wake · wax · vault · bore · lash · mine

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. branch — a division

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