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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: degree · bank · branch · ruler · rest · current · wax · trunk

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. current — electric
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — a break
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — to grow
  18. degree — temperature
  19. current — happening now
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. current — of water
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. degree — an amount

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