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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · tear · wound · hide · land · wax · leaves · lie

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. land — to come down
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. tear — from crying
  5. land — ground
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. tear — to rip
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — a country
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — a division
  16. lie — to recline
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wax — to grow

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