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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: branch · kid · shower · can · ruler · bulb · wax · mark

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. can — a tin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. kid — child
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mark — a grade
  16. can — a tin
  17. kid — to tease
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bulb — for light
  24. shower — rain

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