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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · calf · key · branch · stem · wax · land · tube

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stem — to come from
  4. land — to come down
  5. tube — a container
  6. rest — a break
  7. key — the most important part
  8. branch — a division
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wax — to grow
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. land — a country
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. land — ground
  24. calf — a young animal

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