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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 · season · coach · face · branch · saw · dip · hide

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. season — in sport
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. face — to point toward
  7. dip — to sink
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. season — of the year
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. saw — the tool
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. face — part of the head
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. face — to confront

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