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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 120 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. court — for sport
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. swing — music
  15. court — of law
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — a division
  20. board — to get on
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. board — a committee
  24. court — of a king

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