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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: hide · ruler · wax · spell · band · club · branch · deal

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. club — a group
  3. deal — to handle
  4. band — a ring
  5. wax — to grow
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. spell — magic
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. club — for golf
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. club — for dancing
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. branch — a division

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