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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 · branch · wax · ball · staff · hand · cell · safe

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. net — in sport
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ball — a dance
  11. branch — a division
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. net — for catching
  14. hand — help
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. staff — employees
  18. net — after costs
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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