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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 120 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: tear · stem · wax · temple · branch · trunk · rock · stick

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tear — to rip
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rock — music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. branch — a division
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. tear — from crying

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