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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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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: wax · swing · lash · pound · ball · branch · bound · wake

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bound — obliged
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bound — certain
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wake — a trail
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. swing — music
  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