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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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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: pop · nail · bear · leaves · cabinet · branch · mouse · wax

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pop — soda
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. branch — a division
  9. wax — to grow
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pop — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pop — to visit
  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