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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: calf · stock · straw · spell · branch · stick · wax · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wax — to grow
  4. kid — child
  5. stock — goods
  6. spell — a short time
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. spell — letters
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. spell — magic
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stock — shares
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. branch — a division
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wax — for sculpting

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