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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: branch · wax · cue · can · staff · tear · deal · hand

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — for pool
  10. can — a tin
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tear — from crying
  18. branch — a division
  19. wax — to grow
  20. deal — to handle
  21. hand — help
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cue — a hint

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