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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: fine · file · branch · band · wax · stand · leaves · net

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wax — to grow
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. file — a tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. net — after costs
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fine — all right
  15. stand — to bear
  16. net — in sport
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. band — a music group
  19. fine — high quality
  20. branch — a division
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. net — for catching
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. file — a document

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