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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · season · fork · stick · current · branch · bulb · fall

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. branch — a division
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — to grow
  10. season — of the year
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — in sport
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fall — the season
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. current — electric
  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