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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
468
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: mate · wax · plane · lie · bowl · stem · branch · wake

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mate — a partner
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. branch — a division
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mate — a friend
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wax — in the ear

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