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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: game · fine · arm · branch · wax · cell · rock · bank

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bank — of a river
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fine — all right
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. game — a match
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bank — for money
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rock — music
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. branch — a division
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. game — a kind of play

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