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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: stem · shower · branch · wind · rock · wax · temple · drill

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. shower — rain
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rock — music
  8. stem — to come from
  9. branch — a division
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wax — to grow
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rock — a stone
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. temple — a place of worship

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