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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: bulb · bound · current · branch · wax · swing · game · fan

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — electric
  7. game — a match
  8. current — happening now
  9. wax — to grow
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. branch — a division
  13. swing — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bound — certain
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. swing — to play on
  21. current — of water
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bulb — for light

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