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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 116 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 · bound · bank · cue · shower · band · branch · calf

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. tube — a container
  5. shower — rain
  6. bank — for money
  7. band — a ring
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bound — certain
  14. branch — a division
  15. shower — to wash
  16. tube — the underground
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cue — a signal
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tube — in a tire

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