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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: present · rule · board · branch · squash · wax · track · spell

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. squash — the sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. rule — a law
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. track — a path
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. board — a committee
  11. spell — letters
  12. rule — government
  13. wax — to grow
  14. track — a song
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. board — to get on
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. track — to keep track
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. present — there

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