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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 116 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: lean · club · patient · wind · branch · court · wax · swing

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wax — to grow
  6. swing — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. branch — a division
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wind — moving air
  14. club — for golf
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. club — for dancing
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. club — a group

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