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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: club · object · stick · wax · branch · tear · lean · pass

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pass — a permit
  5. branch — a division
  6. club — for dancing
  7. object — an aim
  8. tear — to rip
  9. object — a thing
  10. lean — thin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wax — to grow
  18. object — to protest
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pass — to succeed

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