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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: net · lash · tube · mark · chair · branch · wax · bank

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bank — of a river
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. tube — a container
  8. net — in sport
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. net — for catching
  13. branch — a division
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bank — for money
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. net — after costs
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bank — for money
  24. branch — of a tree

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