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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: wax · staff · toast · field · kick · mate · stem · branch

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wax — to grow
  5. field — farmland
  6. kick — in football
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. staff — employees
  9. stem — to come from
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mate — to breed
  12. field — for sport
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. branch — a division
  15. mate — a partner
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. field — a subject
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. staff — employees
  24. wax — for sculpting

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