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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: lean · face · tube · branch · spring · lie · wax · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lean — thin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. face — to confront
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. face — part of the head
  13. spring — the season
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. face — to point toward
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. branch — a division
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lean — to bend
  21. spring — of water
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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