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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 · lie · current · wax · sharp · branch · row · stick

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. current — electric
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lie — to recline
  11. row — to paddle
  12. current — happening now
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. current — of water
  15. row — a line
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — a division
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. sharp — clever

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