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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: rash · board · bound · deal · calf · bark · wax · branch

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. bound — certain
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wax — to grow
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rash — a series
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. branch — a division
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bark — to shout
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bound — obliged
  23. board — to get on
  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