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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: straw · scale · pop · bound · track · branch · temple · wax

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pop — soda
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pop — music
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bound — obliged
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bound — certain
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. track — a path

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