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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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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: land · wax · board · pass · branch · cue · rule · object

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. land — ground
  5. branch — a division
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rule — a law
  11. cue — a hint
  12. object — an aim
  13. land — a country
  14. board — to get on
  15. object — to protest
  16. rule — government
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. object — a thing
  24. land — to come down

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