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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · branch · straw · wax · lie · spring · wave · land

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. land — a country
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spring — the season
  19. branch — a division
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. deal — to handle
  23. spring — of water
  24. branch — of a tree

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