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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 · deal · bound · bank · band · wax · lash · content

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bank — of a river
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bank — for money
  6. branch — a division
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — happy
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. content — the amount
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. band — a ring
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. band — a music group

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