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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bowl · branch · mouse · key · wax · tear · tube · fall

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. key — for a lock
  4. branch — a division
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. key — in music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fall — the season
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. tube — a container
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — the most important part
  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