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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 · trunk · roll · stem · band · stick · arm · current

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. band — a music group
  14. wax — to grow
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. band — a ring
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. current — of water
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. current — electric
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. current — happening now

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