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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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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: wax · branch · bore · rash · band · pop · temple · charge

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pop — music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rash — a series
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. charge — a price
  17. rash — hasty
  18. band — a ring
  19. branch — a division
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. charge — in control
  22. pop — soda
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wax — to grow

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