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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: tube · date · ruler · board · mark · branch · bank · wax

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. tube — a container
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — a trace
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. board — a committee
  19. bank — of a river
  20. board — to get on
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. date — the fruit
  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