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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: branch · band · saw · board · wax · swing · leaves · rule

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. swing — in golf
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. swing — music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rule — a law
  9. board — to get on
  10. branch — a division
  11. band — a ring
  12. rule — government
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. band — a music group
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wax — to grow
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. board — a committee

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