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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: bound · wax · bay · cabinet · current · cap · branch · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cap — a lid
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. current — electric
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — a division
  10. current — of water
  11. cap — a hat
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — happening now
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bound — certain
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wax — to grow

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