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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. saw — the tool
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rule — a law
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chair — a leader
  8. branch — a division
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bound — obliged
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rule — government
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — certain
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. branch — of a tree

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