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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: rock · branch · stem · mate · tear · present · cabinet · wax

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. present — the time now
  8. rock — a stone
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. tear — from crying
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. present — a gift
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. present — there
  16. rock — music
  17. branch — a division
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cabinet — ministers

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