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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chest — of your body
  3. root — of a word
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bound — certain
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bound — obliged
  10. present — a gift
  11. chest — of your body
  12. swing — to play on
  13. present — there
  14. swing — music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. present — the time now
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bound — tied together
  22. chest — a box
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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