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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: pitcher · rule · bound · drill · wax · branch · squash · calf

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. drill — a practice
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rule — government
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rule — a law
  11. bound — obliged
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. branch — a division
  17. drill — army training
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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