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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 120 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: rule · kick · swing · temple · lie · present · branch · wax

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wax — to grow
  3. kick — in football
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. swing — in golf
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. present — there
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. branch — a division
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. present — the time now
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rule — a law
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. present — a gift
  22. rule — government
  23. swing — music
  24. rule — to rule out

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