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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: tube · branch · wax · rest · calf · present · rash · stock

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stock — shares
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tube — the underground
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. stock — goods
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rest — a break
  19. branch — a division
  20. tube — a container
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rash — a series
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. branch — of a tree

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