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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: mate · club · rest · tear · wax · branch · ruler · spell

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rest — a break
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mate — a partner
  6. spell — magic
  7. mate — to breed
  8. club — for dancing
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. branch — a division
  16. club — for golf
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. club — a group
  19. tear — to rip
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wax — in the ear

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