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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: present · arm · mate · rush · branch · wax · lie · kid

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mate — a partner
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. present — a gift
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kid — child
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. branch — a division
  16. kid — to tease
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lie — to recline
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rush — hurry
  22. present — the time now
  23. mate — to breed
  24. present — there

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