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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: ruler · bowl · staff · branch · mouse · rest · wax · wind

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rest — what's left
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. staff — employees
  24. wind — moving air

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