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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: cap · wax · net · branch · lie · stick · content · cell

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cap — a hat
  4. net — after costs
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cap — a lid
  8. net — for catching
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. content — the amount
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wax — to grow
  13. net — in sport
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. lie — to recline
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. branch — a division

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