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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 120 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 · tube · rush · wax · track · rest · hand · face

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rest — a break
  6. wax — to grow
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. hand — help
  16. face — to point toward
  17. hand — in cards
  18. branch — a division
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rush — hurry
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rest — what's left
  24. face — to confront

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