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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: arm · stock · key · wax · lie · row · calf · branch

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wax — to grow
  5. row — a line
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stock — shares
  12. key — in music
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. key — the most important part
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. row — to paddle
  21. stock — goods
  22. lie — to recline
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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