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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: arm · cue · calf · branch · game · swing · wax · season

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. season — in sport
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. season — of the year
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. swing — music
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. branch — a division
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. swing — to play on
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. calf — a young animal

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