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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: cabinet · wax · branch · coach · lean · wake · fan · land

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. land — to come down
  5. wake — a trail
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lean — thin
  9. land — a country
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. land — ground

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