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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: dip · wax · hide · spring · branch · can · present · staff

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. spring — the season
  3. staff — a stick
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — a tin
  6. present — a gift
  7. can — a tin
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. can — to be able to
  11. branch — a division
  12. staff — employees
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. present — the time now
  15. spring — of water
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. spring — a coil
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wax — to grow
  24. branch — of a tree

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