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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: ground · branch · rest · wax · firm · spell · racket · bound

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. firm — steady
  3. spell — letters
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rest — what's left
  7. firm — decided
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — magic
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ground — a position
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rest — a break
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. bound — tied together
  19. firm — a company
  20. ground — crushed
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bound — certain
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wax — for sculpting

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