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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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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 · stick · wax · kid · wound · ruler · net · stem

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. kid — child
  3. wound — an injury
  4. branch — a division
  5. stem — to come from
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wound — an injury
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wax — to grow

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