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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 116 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: last · sharp · branch · stem · fall · rock · wax · object

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fall — the season
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. object — a thing
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. last — to go on
  11. branch — a division
  12. last — final
  13. object — to protest
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rock — music
  16. fall — to drop
  17. last — finally
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. object — an aim
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rock — a stone
  24. sharp — clever

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