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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · bay · leaves · wax · press · stand · can · branch

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. content — the amount
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stand — to bear
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. wax — to grow
  16. press — newspapers
  17. can — a tin
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. stand — for spectators

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