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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: lie · branch · wax · bore · cabinet · straw · degree · face

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lie — to recline
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. degree — an amount
  17. branch — a division
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. face — part of the head
  23. degree — temperature
  24. lie — an untruth

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