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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: firm · face · branch · wax · track · net · chest · hide

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. track — to keep track
  4. face — to confront
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. net — after costs
  12. firm — decided
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wax — to grow
  15. net — in sport
  16. firm — a company
  17. face — part of the head
  18. net — for catching
  19. chest — of your body
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. firm — steady
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. branch — a division
  24. face — to point toward

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