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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: fork · tear · wax · ruler · branch · suit

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fork — in a road
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wax — to grow
  18. ruler — for measuring

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