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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 · stem · stick · craft · cold · staff · wax · rock

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wax — to grow
  6. staff — a stick
  7. craft — boats
  8. rock — music
  9. staff — employees
  10. rock — a stone
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. branch — a division
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. staff — employees
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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