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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: bulb · key · branch · stem · rash · clip · mug · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rash — a series
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mug — a face
  8. rash — hasty
  9. branch — a division
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. key — the most important part
  12. clip — a video
  13. key — in music
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bulb — for light
  16. key — for a lock
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stem — of a plant

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