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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: cabinet · pop · branch · stand · wax · wake · land · mate

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wake — a trail
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. land — ground
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. branch — a division
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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