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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: rush · foot · wax · current · chair · stem · jam · branch

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rush — hurry
  9. current — of water
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chair — a leader
  12. current — electric
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wax — to grow
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. current — happening now
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. foot — the bottom

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