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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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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: straw · bear · branch · deal · wave · coach · wax · chair

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wave — of the sea

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