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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: wax · ball · safe · fork · branch · tube · board · shower

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. ball — a dance
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. branch — a division
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. tube — a container
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tube — the underground
  18. shower — rain
  19. board — a committee
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. shower — to wash
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ball — a great time

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