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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: branch · board · file · rule · stand · chest · wax · wake

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. file — a document
  3. board — to get on
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. branch — a division
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wax — to grow
  12. file — a tool
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wake — a trail
  17. chest — of your body
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chest — a box
  21. rule — a law
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. chest — of your body

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