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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: drill · branch · content · wax · key · race · cue · dip

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. race — the arms race
  5. dip — to sink
  6. race — humankind
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cue — a signal
  10. drill — a practice
  11. branch — a division
  12. cue — a hint
  13. drill — army training
  14. key — in music
  15. content — the amount
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. key — the most important part
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. race — a contest
  20. content — happy
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. key — for a lock
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cue — for pool

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