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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 · wax · craft · rule · chest · jam · temple · chair

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. branch — a division
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chair — a leader
  10. craft — boats
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rule — a law
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rule — government
  23. chest — of your body
  24. craft — a skill

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