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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: mate · season · temple · branch · rest · wax · stick · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. branch — a division
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wax — to grow
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rest — what's left
  15. season — in sport
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mate — a friend
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wax — in the ear

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