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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: degree · cue · branch · saw · wax · bound · stick · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wax — to grow
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bound — obliged
  11. degree — from a university
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cue — a hint
  14. degree — temperature
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ground — crushed
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bound — certain

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