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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: ruler · wax · deal · hand · bear · key · branch · club

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. branch — a division
  4. hand — help
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. deal — to handle
  11. key — in music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. ruler — a monarch

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