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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: race · mouse · bank · ground · current · chest · branch · wax

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. branch — a division
  4. race — a contest
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. current — electric
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chest — a box
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. bank — for money
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bank — for money
  16. chest — of your body
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ground — a position
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mouse — for a computer

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