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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 120 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: branch · leaves · current · wax · land · wound · press · rock

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. current — happening now
  4. rock — music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. press — a publisher
  13. land — a country
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. current — of water
  17. land — ground
  18. wound — an injury
  19. land — to come down
  20. press — to push
  21. wax — to grow
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. current — electric
  24. rock — a stone

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