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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: wax · lie · march · branch · file · mark

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mark — a grade
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. file — a document
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lie — to recline
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. march — music
  14. branch — a division
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. file — a tool
  18. lie — an untruth

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