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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tear · board · wax · racket · coach · bound · branch · chair

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tear — to rip
  8. board — a committee
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. branch — a division
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. board — to get on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bound — tied together

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