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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: land · wax · lie · bank · branch · date · chair · drill

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. drill — army training
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bank — for money
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. land — to come down
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. land — ground
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bank — for money
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bank — of a river
  21. branch — a division
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — a practice
  24. date — on the calendar

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