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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 · lash · mate · press · pop · ruler · wax · current

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pop — soda
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. branch — a division
  7. mate — a friend
  8. current — of water
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pop — to visit
  12. current — happening now
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pop — music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wax — to grow
  23. current — electric
  24. ruler — a monarch

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