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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
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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: cap · wax · rock · spring · cell · scale · press · branch

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. press — to push
  5. branch — a division
  6. spring — of water
  7. scale — in music
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rock — a stone
  13. spring — the season
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rock — music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cap — a hat
  19. press — a publisher
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cap — a lid
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cap — of ice

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