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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: wax · cell · rule · swing · fork · perch · branch · rock

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rock — music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wax — to grow
  6. swing — to play on
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cell — a phone
  9. branch — a division
  10. fork — in a road
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. swing — in golf
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rule — a law
  19. swing — music
  20. rule — government
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fork — a garden tool

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