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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · drill · branch · mine · wax · cabinet · swing · pitch

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. swing — in golf
  7. drill — army training
  8. mine — for digging
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. swing — music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. drill — the tool

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