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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.

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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: suit · wax · game · cap · lean · stand · branch · wake

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. branch — a division
  3. lean — thin
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. suit — clothes
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cap — of ice
  14. game — a match
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lean — to bend
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. suit — to fit

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