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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: fall · lie · cap · chest · branch · mug · suit · wax

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cap — a hat
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wax — to grow
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — a division
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mug — a cup
  14. fall — the season
  15. mug — a face
  16. chest — a box
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cap — a lid
  24. suit — in cards

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